Belgian CDH Party Expels Deputy for Denying Armenian Genocide

BELGIUM—A member of the Belgian Parliament, Mahinur Özdemir, was expelled from her political party on Fri., May 29, after she refused to recognize the Armenian Genocide.

Mahinur Özdemir (Photo: Belga)
Mahinur Özdemir (Photo: Belga)

Özdemir refused to acknowledge the genocide during a Belgian TV program aired by RTL-TVi on May 28. The Humanist Democratic Center (CDH), explaining that Özdemir did not share the party’s values, took action to remove her from its ranks.

Özdemir immediately received support from the Brussels office of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling Justice and Development (AKP) Party.

A statement by the AKP office in Brussels was released on May 30, and read: “The AKP Brussels supports Deputy Mahinur Özdemir. No one should have to express a specific point of view about an event in history to have the right to serve their fellow countrymen in Parliament. The actions of CDH raise the sufferings of a religious and ethnic group above the sufferings of others and silence the ones who have a different point of view.”

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The funeral wreath placed in front of the CDH office (Photo: Turkish European Democratic Union Facebook page)

The statement further claimed that the decision was an affront to freedom of expression. “By trying to push Ms. Özdemir to sign a document of recognition of the ‘Genocide,’ and by kicking her out of the party after she refused, the CDH simply shows that it does not respect the freedom of conscience and expression in its ranks.”

The AKP statement also added that “In Turkey, all opinions about 1915 events are free. The AKP believes that all citizens—especially members of Parliament and politicians—should be able to express themselves freely on these historical issues.”

The Turkish European Democratic Union organized a demonstration in support of Özdemir in front of the CDH headquarters in Brussels on May 30. A funeral wreath was placed in front of the CDH office, with the words, “CDH killed freedom of expression and the fundamental rights of Mahinur Özdemir.”

Özdemir reacted by issuing a statement. “My position has always been to recognize all human tragedies and I respect the memory of all persons who lost their lives,” read the statement, which did not use the word “genocide.” She added that even the Belgian government has not recognized the genocide.

In 2009, Özdemir became the first woman wearing a headscarf to be seated at a Belgian Parliamentary Assembly. In 2010, she married a Turkish parliamentary attaché of the AKP. President Erdogan, prime minister at the time, attended the ceremony.

 

 

 

 

 

Fiona Guitard

Fiona Guitard

Fiona Guitard is a French journalist. She earned a B.A. degree in French Literature and Communication, and an M.A. in Social Science and Humanities from La Sorbonne University. Involved in human rights, her writings also focus on politics, arts, and social and gender issues. Guitard interned for the Armenian Weekly in 2014, and currently contributes to the paper from France.
Fiona Guitard

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7 Comments

  1. I don’t understand what is all the fuss about. Every political party, club, organization, &c has its rules and regulations. If a member does not abide by them they’re expelled. Simple as that. Mahinur [=moonlight] can now join another political party where her views don’t clash with its manifestos.

    • Well said Massis. I also noted a very interesting statement whereby in Turkey all opinions on and about 1915 are free. Are these people serious? And if that is the case why not release all those who are in jail so that they can express the TRUTH. I also notice that this person is married to a turkish diplomatic attache. Does that say something?

  2. {A funeral wreath was placed in front of the CDH office. “CDH killed freedom of expression and the fundamental rights of Mahinur Özdemir,” read the words on the wreath.}

    Islamist Ms. Özdemir was born in Turkey (…no doubt in a dwelling built over the bones of murdered Christians)
    She emigrated to Christian Europe on her own free will.
    (why not stay in the land of Article 301 and freely exercise your freedom of speech Ms. Özdemir)
    She was accepted by the magnanomous Christian Belgian people, and ran for public office openly advetising her Islamist beliefs: she was elected to public office.

    Nobody is forcing her to stay in Belgium.
    Those are the rules in Belgium: AG and JH denial is not acceptable.
    Christian Belgium is not denialist Islamist Türkiye: a criminal state founded on the Genocide of millions Christians.

    If Ms. Özdemir and her fellow denialist Islamists are so concerned about “freedom of expression and fundemantal rights” (wow !), they are most welcome to return to Turkey, and work at improving “freedom of expression and fundemantal rights” in their native AKP Islamist homeland.
    Except they might find themselves not only expelled from some political party, but jailed – if they say the wrong thing about Islamist AKP or Islamist Sultan Erdogan.
    Islamist Sultan Erdogan sues, threatens, or jails* anybody who exercises their “freedom of expression and fundamental rights”.
    He even tries to extradite his critics from foreign countries to Turkey, so they can be jailed there (e.g. Gulen in US).
    And every so often Erdogan’s goons beat people up who excercise their “freedom of expression and fundamental rights”.
    And Islamist Ms. Özdemir has the gall to complain about Christian Belgium ?
    How invadonomadic of you Uygurkizlar Özdemir Hanım.

    Video.
    The filthy denialista scurrying like a cockroach when the lights of truth were shone on her.
    [Belgian Turkish MP dodges TV cameras in fear of Armenian Genocide questions]
    (starting about 2:00 minute mark)
    http://news.am/eng/news/269156.html

    —-
    *
    http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/man-questions-presidents-rally-in-eastern-turkey-spends-night-in-jail.aspx?pageID=238&nID=83359&NewsCatID=341

    {A man living in the eastern Turkish province of Iğdır has spent the night in jail after publically questioning a rally held by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
    Hüseyin Ali Karabağ, 26, who was watching Erdoğan’s June 1 speech from nearby, was reportedly overheard questioning the justification for the president’s rally.} (June/02/2015)

  3. Poor Lady, expelled from her political party for denying the Genocide. She should be thankful she is a muslim turk woman living in Europe and not a Christian Armenian in Asia Minor circa 1915.

  4. Funny how Turks are all about freedom of speech when it comes to being allowed to deny the genocide in other countries, but how about freedom of speech in their own country, where you get thrown in jail for “insulting Turkishness”?

  5. Reflections of a Sixth Grader’s Trip to Armenia on April 24
    http://asbarez.com/136573/reflections-of-a-sixth-graders-trip-to-armenia-on-april-24/

    {We started to walk towards the shop when I turned back to pick up the purse I dropped. That’s when I noticed the pizza man signaling the shopkeeper to deny us service. The shopkeeper did not exchange our money, but noticing my Armenian Genocide Centennial t-shirt, he swore at us in Turkish and called my aunt and me a “gyavour.” Exactly a hundred years later, the Turks continue to do the same thing.}

    {….he swore at us in Turkish and called my aunt and me a “gyavour.”}.

    Yes, indeed: why are we not surprised.
    Paging Ms. Özdemir…. paging Ms. Özdemir……please see the Turk pizza man in the Vienna airport: free pizza to all Anti-Christian, Anti-Armenian Türkkizlar and Türkoğlar.
    All you can eat.
    Must present proof of Anti-Christian and/or Anti-Armenian act(s) to take advanatage of this free offer.

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