Leyla Zana calls for dialogue with PKK

The prominent Kurdish politician Leyla Zana has called for dialogue to end the quarter century of conflict that has scarred south-eastern Turkey and killed more than 30,000 people.
From the Guardian.

EUTCC Press Release

Leyla Zana, a well know political spokesperson for the Kurds in Turkey has been sentenced to two years imprisonment by a Turkish Court in the southeastern city of Diyarbakir.

Draft Report on Turkey's 2008 Progress Report

 To read the draft report please click here

Jon Rud awarded "Kurd of the Year - Honorary Award".

Former General Secretary of the EUTCC, Mr Jon Rud, was awarded "Kurd of the Year - Honorary Award" in January 2008. The award was given during the first Kurdish Gala in Oslo, hosted by the KRG Nordic Representation.

DTP Vice President Nurettin Demirtas arrested

The DTP Vice President Nurettin Demirtas was arrested two days ago at the Ankara Airport when returning from Europe.  Demirtas is accused of having forged documents in order to escape military service in Turkey. It is expected that Demirtas will be transferred to a military service base.

EUTCC Press Release

The EUTCC urges the Turkish government to curb judicial attempts to derail the democratic and peaceful exercise of the right to free expression, and calls on it to enter into a dialogue with all parties to come to a peaceful solution to the Kurdish issue and prevent the escalation of ethnic violence in Turkey.

New book from Desmond Fernandes

The Kurdish and Armenian Genocides - from Censorship and Denial to Recognition?

Turkey’s repression of the Kurds has been widely documented - and is acknowledged as a major obstacle to Turkey’s accession to the European Union. But what lies behind such repression? Fernandes confronts the issue head on, forcing the reader to probe a question that many in Turkey and elsewhere would rather avoid: does the systematic repression of the Kurds amount to genocide? Open discussion of this issue is critical if a long-term resolution of the Kurdish issue is to be achieved – Nicholas Hildyard, Policy Analyst.

EUTCC Strongly Condemns Turkish Air Strikes in Kurdistan, Iraq

EUTCC strongly condemns the air raids carried out two days ago by the Turkish air force in the Qandil Mountains of Kurdistan, Iraq, and urges the Turkish military immediately to stop the air strikes and all military intervention to the area.

Final Resolutions; 4th International Conference on EU, Turkey and the Kurds

The Fourth International Conference on EU, Turkey and the Kurds ended with the passing of final resolutions.

EUTCC Press Release 24. February 2008

EU Turkey Civic Commission Strongly Condemns Turkish incursion into Kurdistan, Iraq

On 21 February, up to 10 000 Turkish soldiers, with the blessing of the US, crossed the Iraqi Kurdistan border in order to track down PKK guerrillas. The Turkish State started its extensive aerial attacks in Iraqi Kurdistan on 16 December, 2007. These bombings resulted in the destruction of peaceful settlements and the killing and wounding of civilians.