A Turkish Dutch politician has been removed from his party’s electoral list for his stance on the Palestinian conflict and the 1915 Armenian incident.
Yasin Makineli, a member of the Veenendaal city council who was running for the Farmer-Citizen Movement (BBB), told TRT World on Tuesday that he was asked to label the events of 1915 as “genocide” and apologize to an Israeli lobbying organization for his support of Palestine.
Despite being democratically endorsed by party members at the party conference on Sept. 23, the 24-year-old politician of Turkish descent was surprised by his party's decision.
Makineli said the BBB, which hoped to expand its voter profile and reach out to Turkish citizens in the Netherlands, initially contacted him and was aware of his conservativism while doing so.
“I told the BBB I wouldn’t backtrack on my religious or spiritual values. My stance has always been clear,” Makineli told Anadolu Agency (AA) separately.
When he refused to bow down to the pressure of his party and apologize to the Israeli lobby for a 2021 news article in which he supported Palestine or recognized the 1915 events as genocide, the BBB first attempted to dissuade him and then sought to block his parliamentary candidacy.
Makineli drew parallels between his situation and that of three politicians of Turkish descent who were expelled from their parties in 2006 because they refused to politicize historical questions related to the events of 1915.
"It's disheartening that nothing has changed in 17 years. I've encountered the same situation as my political predecessors, and I'm deeply disappointed," he said.
When he joined, Makineli relied on the BBB’s promise that lawmakers could express personal opinions. He aimed to address “current issues affecting people,” such as increasing energy costs and declining purchasing power in the Netherlands. “We were born and raised here, and we want to engage in discussing important matters,” he said.
After his removal, the Dutch “understood our rightful stance,” Makineli added. “Many people who aren’t Turkish, even some Dutch members at the BBB, said what was done to me was not right.”
He further argued that European politics has a double standard, and youths born here grow up with this double standard. “It’s not easy to stand up for the rights of the community here and fight against double standards. This injustice will not steer us from our path. We will continue fighting to make sure those that come after me don’t suffer what I have.”
“But Turkish politicians have it harder in the Netherlands because our loyalty is questioned, which really challenges us,” he said.
Of the BBB’s 50-person candidate list, Makineli was the only Turkish and Muslim.
“I was also the only one who faced this pressure. None of the other candidates were asked about their opinions on past events,” he said.
BBB Chair Erik Stegink confirmed Makineli’s disqualification but declined to comment on the reason, according to Dutch newspaper AD.
The Netherlands is set to hold early parliamentary elections on Nov. 22, following the collapse of coalition negotiations after the March elections.
The Farmer-Citizen Movement (BBB) is a new protest party seeking the support of farmers and rural populations.
In the March 2023 provincial parliament elections, the right-conservative party emerged as the leading force nationwide.
