11TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON “THE EUROPEAN UNION, TURKEY, THE MIDDLE EAST AND THE KURDS”

“CHAOS AND CRISIS IN THE MIDDLE EAST: NEW REGIONAL ORDER AND THE KURDS”

Wednesday 10th & Thursday 11th of December 2014

Room ASP 1G2

European Parliament, Brussels (B)

 

 

Since 2004 the EUTCC has held an annual conference in the European Parliament. One of its most important tasks is to monitor Turkish compliance with the EU accession criteria. EUTCC wishes to contribute to the progress of Turkish membership of the EU by spreading accurate, objective information both in Turkey and Europe about the progress made by Turkey, but also about any shortcomings which may still persist.

By these conferences the EUTCC also wishes to contribute to a democratic, peaceful and lasting solution of the Kurdish problem. It believes that this can only be achieved through a dialogue between the parties concerned, in which also the EU must play its part. This will require not only further changes in legislation, but a change in the ideology and mentality at all levels of Turkish society. From a state seeing the expression of Kurdish culture and language as a threat to its own existence, Turkey must become a state that recognizes differences and sees cultural diversity and freedom as positive and necessary elements of a true democracy.

In these ten years there have been only minor reform changes in Turkey regarding the situation of the Kurds. This year`s conference brings together internationally recognized speakers from various disciplines and fields together with the EUTCC patrons. At this year’s conference, Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, the famous Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, will participate. Other well-known EUTCC patrons include Dr. Shirin Ebadi, Professor Noam Chomsky, Bianca Jagger Yasar Kemal, Leyla Zana and Vedat Turkali are supporting us.

Please register beforehand by sending your name, date of birth and ID-card number to:

EU Turkey Civic Commission (EUTCC) Conference Committee – Brussels

[email protected]

Draft PROGRAMME

Conference’s 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, UK

Professor Noam Chomsky

Writer, USA

Yasar Kemal

Writer, Turkey

Vedat Turkali

Writer, Turkey

Leyla Zana

European Parliament’s Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought

Rafto Prize Laureate, Turkey

 

Wednesday, 10th December 2014, 15.00-16.00

Room ASP 1G2

Opening Session

 

  • MEP Ms. Gaby ZIMMER, Chairwoman of the European United Left – Nordic Green
  • Kariane WESTRHEIM, EUTCC Chairwoman, Norway

           Left Group (GUE/NGL) in the European Parliament

  • Adem UZUN, Executive Member of the Kurdistan National Congress (KNK)

 

Wednesday, 10th December 2014, 16.00-18.30

Panel I, Room ASP 1G2

 

Strengthen the TurkishKurdish Peace Process:

A New Chance for Turkey and the Region

 

Moderators:

Judge Essa MOOSA, IPRI, South Africa

Ms. Dersim DAGDEVIREN, President of KURD-AKAD, Germany

 

  • The Road Map for Real Negotiations

Prof Dr. Hans-Joachim GIESMANN, Director of Berghof Foundation, Germany

  • The Role of Abdullah Ocalan in the Peace Process

MP Ms. Pervin BULDAN, Group-spokeswoman of HDP in the Turkish Parliament, Turkey

  • The EU Policy Towards the Kurds in Europe

MEP……….(TBC)

  • The Peace Process and Turkish civil society

            Mr. Huseyin YAYMAN, Journalist, Turkey

  • New Developments in the Region and the Peace Process

Ms. Arzu YILMAZ, PhD, Ankara University, Turkey

  • EU Contribution and obstacles for the solution of the Kurdish Issue – Delisting PKK from the anti-terror list

Ms. Marieke van EIK, Lawyer, Prakken d’Oliveira, The Netherlands

Questions and discussion with moderators & discussants

Thursday, 11th December 2014, 09.30 – 13.00

Panel II, Room ASP 1G2

 

What are the Alternatives to the Chaos in the Middle East?

Security, Stability and Welfare in the Region

 

Moderators:

Prof. Michael GUNTER, EUTCC Secretary General, United States

Mr. Osman KAVALA, Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation (TESEV), Turkey

  • The Iraqi Crisis, ISIS and the Kurdistan Region

            Prof. Abbas VALI, Bogazici University -Turkey

  • Suraqiland and the Shifting Paradigms in the Middle East

            Ms. Ofra BENGIO, Moshe Dayan Center, Tel Aviv University, Israel

  • West-Kurdistan, ISIS and the Assad Regime

            Ms. Bahar SIMSEK, PhD candidate Ankara University, Turkey

  • The Kurdish Multi-Ethnic and Sectarian Solutions

Mr. Salih MUSLIM, Co-President of PYD, Rojava-Syria

  • Possible Contributions of the EU for Peace, Stability and Security in the Middle East

            Ms. Fréderike GEERDINK, Journalist, The Netherlands

  • The EU Policy in the Middle East and Kurdistan

            MEP Ms. Bodil CEBALLOS, MEP, Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance

Questions and discussion with moderators & discussants

Thursday, 11th December 2014, 15.00 – 17.30

Panel III, Room ASP 1G2

 

Responsibilities for Resolving the Crisis in the Middle East

 

Moderators:

Mr. Jurgen KLUTE, former GUE/NGL, Germany

Ms. Asli AYDINTASBAS, Journalist, Turkey

@ 15h00 – OPENING SPECIAL REMARKS:

Archbishop Emeritus Desmond TUTU, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, South Africa

  • The EU-Turkey Relationship and Kurdish Issue

Dr. Phil. Günter SEUFERT, SWP Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik, Germany

  • The Paris Murders of Sakine Cansiz, Fidan Dogan, and Leyla Saylemez: Two Years Later

            Me. Antoine COMTE, Lawyer, France

  • Radical Islam in the Middle-East

            Ms. Sirin PAYZIN, Journalist, Turkey

  • Women’s Perspectives for the solution of crisis

            Ms. Gonul KAYA, Kurdish Women Movement Representative

  • The Expectations and Plights of the West

            Dr. Michael RUBIN, American Enterprise Institute, United States

 

  • Kurdish Contribution to a New Democratic Turkey based on Unity of Diversities

            MP Mr. Selahattin DEMIRTAS, Co-President of HDP, Turkey

Questions and discussion with moderators & discussants

Thursday, 11th December 2014, 17.30 – 18.30

Room ASP 1G2

 Resolution & Final Remarks

EUTCC Board Members

Mr. Francis WURTZ, Former President of GUE/NGL Group in EP

MP Mr. Nazmi GUR, Vice President of the HDP, Turkey

 

 

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