Isa Kahraman

Isa Kahraman
Member of the House of Representatives
Incumbent
Assumed office 6 December 2023
Personal details
Born	(1974-04-01) 1 April 1974 (age 51) Midyat, Turkey
Political party	New Social Contract (since 2023)
Other political affiliations	Christian Democratic Appeal (formerly)
Residence	Rijssen
Alma mater	Saxion University of Applied Sciences Nyenrode Business Universiteit

Isa Kahraman (born 1 April 1974) is a Turkish-born Dutch politician of New Social Contract (NSC) who was elected to the House of Representatives in the 2023 general election. His portfolio included veterans, foreign religious minorities, defence, and development cooperation before the latter two were replaced by foreign policy and international culture policy following the swearing in of the Schoof cabinet. ^{[1] [2]} He lives in Rijssen, Overijssel. ^{[3] [4]}

From 2006 to 2018, he served three terms as a municipal councillor of Rijssen-Holten on behalf of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA). From 2009 onwards, he led the CDA in the municipal council.

Kahraman filed a parliamentary motion in March 2024 to postpone talks with Bosnia and Herzegovina about a potential accession to the European Union (EU). The motion was defeated by a narrow margin, while Prime Minister Mark Rutte had indicated in advance that he would not veto the talks to avoid alienating the Netherlands within the EU. ^[5]

Early life

Kahraman was born on 1 April 1974 to ethnic Assyrian parents originally from Midyat in southeastern Turkey, and arrived in the Netherlands as a young child. ^[6] He graduated from the Saxion University of Applied Sciences in 1998 with a degree in commercial economics and worked as a managing director at an international consulting firm. ^[7] He also attended the Nyenrode Business University from 2005 to 2008 and graduated with an MS in Management.

Political career

Minority rights advocacy

Kahraman has previously been an advocate for Assyrians and has publicly spoken out against their persecution. In late 2024, Kahraman met with a delegation from the Bethnahrin National Council and discussed regional developments. ^[8] In the wake of the 2025 massacres of Syrian Alawites, Kahraman submitted a motion to the Dutch House of Representatives alongside Don Ceder of the Christian Union urging for the government to create feasible solutions to protect minority rights of Alawites, Christians, and Druze in Syria. ^[9]

House Committee Assignments

• Committee for European Affairs
• Committee for Foreign Trade and Development
• Committee for Foreign Affairs
• Contact group United States
• Committee for Defence (chair)
• Committee for Asylum and Migration
• Delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly ^[6]

Electoral history

Electoral history of Isa Kahraman

Year	Body	Party		Pos.	Votes	Result		Ref.
						Party seats	Individual
2023	House of Representatives		New Social Contract	16	3,357	20	Won	[10]

References

1. "Woordvoerderschappen Nieuw Sociaal Contract" [New Social Contract spokespersonships](PDF). New Social Contract (in Dutch). Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 January 2024 – via Wayback Machine.
2. "Tweede Kamerfractie" [House of Representatives group]. New Social Contract (in Dutch). Retrieved 17 November 2024.
3. SyriacPress (24 November 2023). "Syriac candidate Isa Kahraman wins seat in Dutch Parliament for New Social Contract". SyriacPress. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
4. "Isa Kahraman uit Rijssen is nummer 16 op de lijst van Omtzigts NSC: "Wie had dat kunnen dromen"". nos.nl (in Dutch). 27 September 2023. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
5. Hofman, Flóri (20 March 2024). "Tweede Kamer verwerpt NSC-motie om EU-gesprekken over toetreding Bosnië-Herzegovina te blokkeren" [House of Representatives rejects NSC motion to block EU talks about accession Bosnia and Herzegovina]. NRC (in Dutch). Retrieved 24 March 2024.
6. "Isa Kahraman". House of Representatives . Retrieved 26 December 2024.
7. "Biografie, onderwijs en loopbaan van Isa Kahraman". www.tweedekamer.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 9 April 2025.
8. SyriacPress (28 October 2024). "Bethnahrin National Council delegation meets Dutch MP Isa Kahraman to discuss Middle East tensions". Syriac Press. Retrieved 9 April 2025.
9. "MPs Ceder and Kahraman: Dutch government must take decisive action within the EU to protect the rights of religious and ethnic groups in Syria". Syriac Press. 13 March 2025. Retrieved 9 April 2025.
10. "Proces-verbaal van de uitslag van de verkiezing van de Tweede Kamer der Staten-Generaal 2023 d.d. 4 december 2023" [Report of the results of the election of the House of Representatives on 4 December 2023](PDF). Dutch Electoral Council (in Dutch). 4 December 2023. pp. 185–186. Retrieved 21 December 2023.

See also

• List of members of the House of Representatives of the Netherlands, 2023–present