Tunahan Kuzu (born 5 June 1981) is a Dutch politician of Turkish descent who served as an MP from 20 September 2012 until 5 December 2023.[1] Initially he was a member of the Labour Party (PvdA) and on 13 November 2014 Kuzu and Selçuk Öztürk left the Labour Party and formed the Group Kuzu/Öztürk, later renamed DENK ("Think").[2] On 18 November 2014, he became Parliamentary group leader. In the 2017 Dutch general election, the party secured three seats in the House of Representatives. He was succeeded as party leader by Farid Azarkan in 2020.
Tunahan Kuzu | |
|---|---|
 Tunahan Kuzu in 2021 | |
| Member of the House of Representatives | |
| In office 20 September 2012 – 5 December 2023 | |
| Leader of DENK in the House of Representatives | |
| In office 9 February 2015 – 21 March 2020 | |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Farid Azarkan |
| Member of the municipal council of Rotterdam | |
| In office 22 May 2008 – 27 September 2012 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 5 June 1981 Istanbul, Turkey |
| Political party | DENK (2015–present) |
| Other political affiliations | Labour Party (2012–2014) Independent (2014–2015) |
| Residence(s) | Rotterdam, Netherlands |
| Alma mater | Erasmus University Rotterdam |
Early life
editKuzu grew up in Maassluis and studied public administration at Erasmus University Rotterdam. He worked as a health care advisor for PricewaterhouseCoopers, and was also a member of the municipal council of Rotterdam from 2008 to 2012.[citation needed]
Controversies
editThis article's "criticism" or "controversy" section may compromise the article's neutrality. (May 2021) |
Relations with Israel
editKuzu attracted international attention in September 2016 when he refused to shake the hand of Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu before a meeting at the States General of the Netherlands. In a statement posted to Facebook Kuzu explained his action as a protest against human rights abuses committed against Palestinian civilians in the Palestinian territories.[3][4]
In May 2019, during a visit to Jerusalem to learn about the situation of the Palestinians in Israel, Kuzu was held up on the Temple Mount while carrying a Palestinian flag. According to Farid Azarkan, Kuzu was "taken by a large group of heavily armed soldiers". Kuzu was not arrested, however, he was stopped and released after an hour.[5]
Electoral history
edit| Election | Party | Candidate number | Votes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 Dutch municipal elections in Rotterdam | Labour Party | 10 | 1.697 |
| 2012 Dutch general election | Labour Party | 27 | 23.067 |
| 2014 Dutch municipal elections in Rotterdam | Labour Party | 29 | 418 |
| 2017 Dutch general election | Denk | 1 | 129.025 |
| 2018 Dutch municipal elections in Rotterdam | Denk | 20 | |
| 2019 Dutch provincial elections in North Holland | Denk | 24 | 2.881 |
| 2019 Dutch provincial elections in South Holland | Denk | 50 | 9.789 |
| 2019 European Parliament election in the Netherlands | Denk | 14 | 20.350 |
| 2021 Dutch general election | Denk | 2 | 70.374 |
| 2022 Dutch special municipal elections in Amsterdam | Denk | 15 | 1.973 |
| 2022 Dutch municipal elections in Rotterdam | Denk | 17 |
References
edit- (in Dutch) Parlement.com biography
- ^ "DENK-Kamerlid Tunahan Kuzu vertrekt na de verkiezingen". RTL Nieuws (in Dutch). 2023-09-11. Retrieved 2023-12-13.
- ^ Two Turkish deputies expelled from Dutch labor party; Today's Zaman; 14 November 2014
- ^ Mackey, Robert (7 September 2016). "Anti-Racist Dutch MP Refuses to Shake Netanyahu's Hand". The Intercept. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
- ^ Sims, Alexandra (14 September 2016). "Dutch MP refuses to shake hands with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu". independent.co.uk. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
- ^ "Kuzu met Palestijnse vlag staande gehouden in Jeruzalem". nos.nl (in Dutch). 17 May 2019. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
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