THE HAGUE, 01/10/03 - Immigration Minister Rita Verdonk yesterday promised the Lower House to start a national debate on 'honor revenge'. Like all MPs, she considered the phenomenon must be forcefully fought.

Parliament was discussing the death of an 18-year-old Turkish girl from Almelo, who it emerged last weekend was killed by her father on 12 August. He shot her with a rifle during a vacation in Turkey for living too Western a lifestyle. The Public Prosecutor's Office in Turkey is planning to demand a life sentence for the father of 18-year-old Zafire, Verdonk disclosed yesterday. The case against the man is expected to be heard in October.

Under pressure from parliament, the minister indicated yesterday that there could be no misunderstanding that honor murders "Must be banished with force. " She will ask the Turks' Participation Body (IOT) and other Islamic organizations in the Netherlands to open up the subject for discussion in their own communities. As well, she and Social Affairs Minister Aart Jan de Geus will press Health Minister Hans Hoogervorst to create more places in shelters for threatened or abused foreign girls and women.

The combined Turkish organizations' spokesman Z. Arslan considers it high time that discussion of honor revenge was removed from the realms of a taboo. Speaking yesterday, he called the phenomenon 'backward.' Labour (PvdA) MP Albayrak also used this term. The sharp tone is remarkable as a year ago, similar statements by political maverick Pim Fortuyn were still characterised as racist.