*DUTCH HISTORY DELVING*

Dutch Parliament

Dutch parliament recognizes 1915 Armenian massacre as genocide.

THE HAGUE : The Dutch parliament on Thursday passed a motion recognizing as genocide the massacre of as many as 1.5 million Armenians in 1915-

Although the government said it would not become official policy of the Netherlands.

The motion which was opposed by just three lawmakers out of 150, risks further straining relations between The Hague and Ankara, which have been tense since the Dutch barred-

 A Turkish minister from campaigning in the Netherlands last year.

Turkey denies that the killings which took place at the height of World War One. constitute genocide.

Its foreign ministry strongly condemned the Dutch parliament's approval of the motion and noted the Dutch government's response to it.

''The government will not follow the judgment of the parliament,'' Foreign Minister Sigrid kaag told Dutch television before the vote.

She urged ''utmost caution when applying the term 'genocide' to past events.''

''This cabinet wants to be every careful about relations with Turkey, which have been better,'' she said.

Relations between the two countries, both members of NATO, plunged last year when the Netherlands deported a Turkish minister who had come to-

 Campaign among the Turkish minority for constitutional referendum in Turkey.

[Agencies]