Dutch-Assyrian MP Isa Kahraman submits motion for last-name changes to help Assyrians reclaim their original family names
The right to change Turkish-imposed surnames should be granted to Assyrians in the Netherlands a lawmaker of Assyrian descent has argued.
Dutch-Assyrian parliamentarian Isa Kahraman has requested granting Assyrians and Armenians living in the Netherlands the right to change Turkish-imposed surnames. The motion he submitted is based on a law that was passed on 3 May, 2024 that gave the descendants of enslaved peoples in the Netherlands the right to change their surnames without any fees. The Dutch Parliament is expected to debate the motion soon.
Kahraman was born to Assyrian parents originally from the village of Bote (Turkish: Bardakçı) and immigrated with his parents to the Netherlands when he was eight years old. He originally won a seat in parliament in 2023 and has used his position to, among other issues, advocate for Assyrian and general West Asian minority rights. Recently, Kahraman met with ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan to discuss an international tribunal to try Islamic State members in a court setting.
He is the first Assyrian in the Dutch Parliament, though he has recently announced that he will not be seeking a second term.
Kahraman is a member of the New Social Contract party (Dutch: Nieuw Sociaal Contract), a Christian democratic political party in the Netherlands founded by Dutch politician Pieter Omtzigt in 2023, who has championed Assyrian issues throughout his political career.
The estimated number of Assyrians in the Netherlands ranges from 35,000 to 50,000 people, primarily living in the eastern part of the country, particularly in the province of Overijssel along the border with Germany.
