"Growing opposition to dual nationality"

2 April 2007

AMSTERDAM – MP for the Freedom Party PVV Geert Wilders called on state secretary for justice Nebahat Albayrak on Saturday once again to give up her Turkish nationality. Wilders says there is "growing political support against her dual nationality."

The PVV leader was referring to an interview with Socialist Party SP leader Jan Marijnissen in the Telegraaf. Wilders says that the three largest opposition parties Liberal VVD, SP and PVV now maintain that Albayrak should give up her Turkish passport. Moroccan law would not allow her colleague Ahmed Aboutaleb (state secretary for social affairs) to give up his Moroccan nationality.

A spokesperson for Marijnissen stressed that the SP leader
"was not at all calling on" Albayrak to give up her nationality and that it should be an individual’s choice. Marijnissen says his standpoint has not changed at all since the beginning of this month, when VVD and PVV took a stand against dual nationality in the debate on the government policy statement.

During that debate VVD leader Mark Rutte urged for concrete legislation to ban dual nationality in future. But Rutte’s spokesperson said that Rutte never called on Albayrak to give up her Turkish passport, since according to the law the choice is hers. He has always maintained however that it would be better for the PvdA secretary to relinquish her other nationality.

Marijnissen said it would "really be a very positive move" if people like Albayrak and Aboutaleb distanced themselves from their dual nationality. "For the sake of public perception."

A member of government must set an example. But Marijnissen "does not want to be in the camp of Wilders and the VVD.

He said people must be allowed to make the choice themselves. "It is voluntary. People should decide on their own. The discussion on loyalty is unrelated to this." The SP also says there are practical reasons why people hold on to their dual nationality, because they could otherwise lose their inheritance in accordance with Turkish law for instance.

The PvdA says it is furious at Marijnissen for these comments.

PvdA faction leader Jacques Tichelaar told the Volkskrant that the SP leader’s statement that it would be better if Albayrak (and if possible Aboutaleb) were to distance herself from her dual nationality was "shocking." Tichelaar says that Parliament discussed the issue of dual nationality at length but Marijnissen never said a word during that debate.

The SP is obviously playing hide-and-seek in Parliament, in order to later air the party’s position, the PvdA faction leader said.

Subject: Dutch news

“Growing opposition to dual nationality”