6th International Conference on EU, Turkey and the Kurds

"Turkey and the Kurdish

conflict:

Political dialogue &

Peace-building"

European Parliament, Brussels

3rd & 4th February 2010 - Room ASP 1G2

(Interpretation available in EN - TK - FR - DE - PT - IT - DA)

Patrons

Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu

Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, South Africa

Dr. Shirin Ebadi

Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Iran

Bianca Jagger

Council of Europe Goodwill Ambassador

Chair of the Bianca Jagger Human Rights Foundation

Professor Noam Chomsky

Writer, USA

Yasar Kemal

Writer, Turkey

Leyla Zana

European Parliament's Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, Rafto Prize Laureate, Turkey

Opening Remarks  

Ms. Kariane Westrheim, Chair of the "EU Turkey Civic Commission" (EUTCC), Associate Professor at the University of Bergen, Norway

Opening Speeches

Ms. Leyla Zana, EP Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought (1995), Rafto Prize Winner (1994), Turkey

Mr. Lothar Bisky, MEP, Chair European United Left / Nordic Green Left (GUE/NGL), Germany

Mr. Ahmet Turk, former Co-Chair of Democratic Society Party (DTP), Turkey

Mr. /Ms. ..............., representative of South Africa (name to be confirmed)

A.      Turkish Government Initiatives

Mr. Hasan Cemal, Journalist, Turkey

B.      Kurdish Peace Initiatives

Ms. Emine Ayna, MP BDP, former Co-President of Democratic Society Party (DTP), Turkey

C.      European Union, Turkey and the Kurds: a European Perspective

Ms. Helene Flautre, MEP, Co-Chairman of the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee, Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance, France

Mr.  Jurgen Klüte, MEP, European United Left / Nordic Green Left (GUE/NGL), Germany

European Commission (to be confirmed)

Questions and discussion followed by closing remarks by moderators

A.       Human Rights Violations - Commitment and Implementation

M.Emin Aktar, Chairman of Diyarbakir Bar Association, Turkey

B.       EU & Human Rights in Turkey

Mr. Richard Howitt, MEP, Socialists & Democrats Group, United Kingdom                                       

C.      EU-Turkey relation and the Kurdish issue

Baroness Sarah Ludford, MEP, Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, UK

D.      Freedom of Expression

Mr. Oral Calislar, Journalist, Turkey

E.       Human Rights Defenders & Implementation of  European Court of Human Rights Judgments

Mr. Ibrahim Bilmez, Lawyer, Turkey

F.       Social & economic situation

         Ms. Ece Temelkuran, Journalist, Turkey

G.      Women's rights

Ms. Sabahat Tuncel, MP, Turkey

H.      EU Enlargement Policy and the Kurdish issue

Mr. Soren Bo Sondergaard, MEP, European United Left - Nordic Green Left Group,         Denmark

Questions and discussion followed by closing remarks by moderators

         VIDEO MESSAGE of Mr. Osman Baydemir, Mayor of Diyarbakir, Turkey (*)

         (*) "video message" because Mr Baydemir has been recently prohibited to travel outside               Turkey, this means that Turkish authorities are not allowing him to participate to the Conference

  A.    State Policy Towards the Kurdish Resolution

 Prof. Dogu Ergil, Ankara University, Turkey

B.    Recognition of the Conflict &, Political Dialogue

Mr. Kerim Yildiz, Chief Executive of KHRP and Board Member of the EUTCC

C.    Prospects for Peace and Democratic Reconciliation

        Mr. Felat Sumerkan, KNK representative

D.    The role of the EU in the implementation of a "road map for peace"

Ms. Rui Tavares, MEP, European United Left - Nordic Green Left, Portugal

E.    Lessons from the Irish Experience

Mr. Gerry Kelly, member of Legislative Assembly for North Belfast (to be confirmed)