The conference will bring together prominent Kurdish politicians from Turkey, members of the European Parliament, human rights defenders, academics, lawyers and experts on the Kurdish issue.It’s likely that the ban of the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP) and the arrests of hundreds of Kurdish politicians will form a major part of the debate. Journalist Hasan Cemal and former DTP co-chair and Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) deputy Emine Ayna will discuss the Kurdish initiative of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government. The conference will also include a speech by Today’s Zaman columnist Doğu Ergil about Turkey’s state policy toward the Kurds.
The two-day conference will be held at the European Parliament and is supported by members of the Council of Europe. The EUTCC was established in November 2004 as the outcome of the first international conference in Brussels on Nov. 22-23, 2004. The aim of the EUTCC is to promote the accession of Turkey as a member of the EU and to help to guarantee respect for human and minority rights and a peaceful, democratic and long-term solution to the Kurdish situation. At the end of a conference, the EUTCC will make recommendations that could advance and protect human rights in Turkey. Wladimir van Wilgenburg Amsterdam
