Events
THE EU, TURKEY AND THE KURDISH QUESTIONFollowing the 3 October 2005 decision to open accession negotiations between Turkey and the EU, the EU-Turkey Civic Commission (EUTCC) has responded to calls to focus greater scrutiny on Turkey’s progress towards meeting accession criteria. Building on its successful conferences in Brussels, this is to be the first EUTCC event focused at its London-based supporters and constituency. Recent eyewitness reports suggest that protection of human rights is deteriorating, with disquieting evidence that security forces have reverted to measures that were prevalent during the 1990s, including extra-judicial killings, torture or ill-treatment, arbitrary arrests and detentions and frequent police raids on private property belonging to Kurds. These reports have been corroborated by human rights observers and by a European Parliament delegation in October. It is clear that Turkey faces an enormous challenge in meeting accession standards on the stability of institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights and respect for and protection of minorities. The EU-Turkey Civic Commission (EUTCC) is a non-profit association aimed at monitoring the Turkey-EU accession process and making recommendations to the EU, Turkish government and other stakeholders. It was established pursuant to the findings of a conference held at the European Parliament in Brussels hosted by Kurdish Human Rights Project, Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales (BHRC), Rafto Foundation and Medico International. [1] At the meeting, the EUTCC will address the various questions surrounding Turkey’s EU accession and discuss available opportunities for monitoring and improving the human rights situation in Turkey (including an end to military operations and human rights abuse; the opening of negotiations between the Turkish government and Kurdish representatives; and Turkey’s compliance with Council of Europe recommendations to open a retrial in the case of Abdullah Öcalan). For speakers and registration information, see over
EUTCC Board of Directors Kariane Westrheim, Chairperson, Kerim Yildiz, Treasurer, Jon Rud, General Secretary, Hans Brancheidt, Jan Beghin, Mark Muller, Nazmi Gür and Sehnaz Turan Advisory Council John Austin MP, Denzil Potgieter Senior Counsel, Cape Bar, South Africa, Dogu Ergil Professor of Sociology, Turkey, Conny Fredriksson Chairman of Socialist International Working Group on Kurdish issues, Sweden, Michael Gunter Professor of Political Science, US, Jean Lambert MEP, UK, Sarah Ludford MEP, UK, Matay Arsan Assyrian Academic Society, Netherland, Richard McKane author (UK) Dr. Konrad Melchers Editor of "Zeitschrift for Entwicklungspolitik", Germany, Margaret Owen, Bar Human Rights Committee, UK, Prof. Wolf Dieter Narr lawyer and adviser, Germany, Prof. Raimund Rütten German Attac, European Social Forum, Germany, Alyn Smith MEP, UK, Reyhan Yalcindag Vice-President of HRA, Turkey, Andrew Duff MEP, UK, Jill Evans MEP, UK, Nicholas Hildyard Policy Analyst, UK, Mark Thomas Comedian, UK, Lord Rea House of Lord, UK, Dogan Ozguden Editor of Info-Turk, Hywell Williams MP, UK, Hugo Charlton Chair Green Party, UK, Stewart Hemsley Chair Pax Christi, UK, Desmond Fernandes Senior Lecturer, UK.
AFTER 3 OCTOBER 2005 – WHAT FUTURE FOR TURKEY’S ACCESSION? Houses of Lords Meeting, Tuesday 22 November 2005, 7-9pm
Richard McKane Mark Muller Margaret Owen Angus Robertson MP
Anna Irvin, Kurdish Human Rights Project, Telephone +44 (0) 207 287 2772, khrp@khrp.org
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