The 12th International Conference on “The EU, Turkey and the Kurds”, hosted by the European Union Turkey Civic Commission (EUTCC), was held at the European Parliament on the 26th and 27th of January.
The conference was organised under the title “Old Crisis – New Solutions” and started with opening remarks by the EU Parliament’s United Left Group Chair Gabi Zimmer.
Many contributions to the debate were made by guests that have been involved in advocating a peaceful and democratic solution to the Kurdish question e.g. Nobel laureate, former President of East Timor José Ramos Horta, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Shirin Ebadi, journalist Mr. Cengiz Çandar; Professor David Romano; Professor of Law Susan Breau; Mr. Peter Galbraith, former US Ambassador to the Republic of Croatia; Mr. Takis Hadjigeorgiou, Vice Chair of the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee; Mr. Selahattin Demirtaş, Co-President of HDP, Member of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey; Mr. Michael Werz of the Centre for American Progress, Ms. Selma Irmak, Co-President of DTK, Mr. Josef Weidenholzer, Vice-President of S&D Group, Ms. Bodil Valero, Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance, Lord Hylton, House of Lords UK, Ms. Marie Christine Vergiat MEP for the GUE/NGL group, and many others.
In its final resolution, the conference calls upon social movements, trade unions, professional associations, non-governmental organisations and allies in government and inter-governmental institutions to mobilise collectively towards a peaceful solution in the region and proposes 12 lines of action.
On behalf of the EU Turkey Civic Comission,
Professor Kariane Westhreim
