Judgment of the Zeeland-West-Brabant District Court of April 22, 2021

The petitioner is of half-Turkish origin and was given both Dutch and Turkish first names at birth. Although he is of half-Turkish descent, he experiences inconvenience from his Turkish first names. He considers himself a Dutchman. Due to his Turkish first names, others get the impression that he is of foreign, particularly Turkish, origin.

When the petitioner goes on vacation to places like Turkey, he is often considered to be of Islamic background due to his first name. This association with his Islamic or Turkish background is further illustrated by the fact that in the past, he received a letter from Turkey stating that he was subject to compulsory military service, even though he only holds Dutch citizenship. When he inquired about it, he was informed that he needed to acquire Turkish citizenship to then buy himself out of military service. The petitioner has informed his mother that he experiences significant inconvenience due to his first name. His mother expressed regret for giving him that name and did not realize it would cause him any trouble.

Furthermore, the petitioner believes that his Turkish first names hinder him in his daily social interactions because he feels that he is discriminated against due to his first name. Others often address him as a “foreigner.” As he identifies as fully Dutch, he cannot relate to his first name. He only experiences trouble from it and wishes to have it removed. His mother gave him the first name at a later time (about a month after his birth), mainly on a whim.

The court rules that the request complies with the legal requirements, and the petitioner has demonstrated a sufficiently weighty interest. The request is granted.