16 March 2007

AMSTERDAM – Faction leader Geert Wilders of the Freedom Party (PVV) wants clarification from Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende on charges that a Turkish lawyer has threatened to bring against state secretary for justice Nebahat Albayrak.

If the threat should actually result in criminal charges, then Balkenende should urge Albayrak to relinquish her Turkish nationality or resign as state secretary. Wilders wrote in written questions to the prime minister today.

Turkish lawyer Kemal Kerinsciz said on a television programme on Thursday that he was considering filing charges against Albayrak on grounds of "insulting Turkish identity" because of her participation in a government that condemns the Armenian genocide of 1915. Turkey officially denies that any genocide took place.

Wilders has said in the past that Albayrak should resign because of her status as a dual national. He submitted a motion to force the resignation of Albayrak and social affairs state secretary Ahmed Aboutaleb, who is also a dual national, but got not support from others in Parliament.

Wilders sees Kerinsciz's comments as confirmation that government members with dual nationality could find themselves faced with problems of loyalty. He wants to know from Balkenende why the prime minister did not mention anything about possible charges against Albayrak in the debate on the government policy statement.

Albayrak said she is waiting to see if any action will actually be taken against her by the Turkish lawyer before responding.

[Copyright Expatica News + ANP 2007]

Subject: Dutch news