7th INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON “EU, TURKEY AND THE KURDS” “The road to peace – facing the challenge”

European Parliament, Brussels – 17th & 18th November 2010 – Room ASP 3G2

(Interpretation available in English, French, German, Turkish and “passive” Dutch)

Patrons

Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu

Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, South Africa

Shirin Ebadi – Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Iran

Bianca Jagger – Council of Europe Goodwill Ambassador & Chair of the World Future Council, UK

Noam Chomsky – Writer, USA

Yasar Kemal – Writer, Turkey

Vedat Turkali – Writer, Turkey

Leyla Zana- EP Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought & the Rafto Prize, Turkey

With the support of European Parliament – Kurds Friendship Group

Wednesday, 17th November 2010, 15h00-16h00 Room ASP 3G2 Opening Session

Opening Remarks

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

Opening Speeches

Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Peace Nobel Prize Laureate, South Africa

(Video message, introduced by Mr Mathew Errol Esau, Desmond Tutu Peace Centre, South Africa)

Ms. Leyla Zana, EP Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, Rafto Prize Laureate, Turkey

Belgian Presidency / EU Presidency (name to be confirmed)

MEP Jürgen Klute, GUE/NGL Group, on behalf of the European Parliament – Kurds Friendship Group, Germany

Wednesday, 17th November 2010, 16h00-18h30

Panel I, Room ASP 3G2

“Turkish-Kurdish dialogue: the only route to peace”

Moderator:

Mr. Guillaume Perrier

Correspondent from Turkey of the French daily newspaper “Le Monde”

Mr. Ahmet Türk, Co-Chair of Democratic Society Congress (DTK), Turkey

Mr. Cengiz Candar, Journalist, Turkey

Mr. Rusen Cakir, Journalist, Turkey

Mr. Selahattin Demirtas, Co-Chair of Peace and Democracy Party (BDP), Turkey

Questions and discussion followed by closing remarks by moderator

Thursday, 18th November 2010, 09h30-13h00

Panel II, Room ASP 3G2

“The impact of the present conflict on civil society

and the future politics of solutions”

Moderators:

Mr. Edgar Auth, Journalist, “Frankfurter Rundschau”, Germany

Prof. Michael Gunter, EUTCC Board Member, USA

A.  Women’s rights

Ms. Gül Kiziltas, Democratic Free Women’s Movement (DOKH), Turkey

B.   Freedom of speech & constitutional reform

MEP Hélène Flautre, Co-Chairman of the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee, European Parliament, France

Mr. Emrullah Beytar, Vice-Chair of the Association of Human Rights and Solidarity for Oppressed People (MAZLUM-DER), Turkey

C.  Anti-terror law and democratic freedoms

Mr. Ömer Günes, Lawyer, Turkey

D.  The situation of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)

Prof. Dr. Sebnem Korur Fincanci, Chair, Human Rights Foundation of Turkey, Turkey

Mr. Martin Dolzer, Sociologist, Germany

E. EU-Turkey enlargement & the Kurdish issue

MEP Alexandra Thein, Liberals & Democrats Group, Germany

MEP Richard Howitt, Socialists & Democrats Group, UK (to be confirmed)

MEP Bart Staes, Greens-EFA Group, Belgium

F.   EU Member States & the Kurdish Diaspora

MEP Søren Bo Søndergaard, GUE/NGL Group, Denmark

Questions and discussion followed by closing remarks by moderators

Thursday, 18th November 2010, 15h00 – 17h30 Panel III, Room ASP 3G2 “Conflict resolution: engaging in political dialogue and peace building” Moderators: MEP Frieda Brepoels, Greens-EFA Group, Belgium Dr. Hans Branscheidt, EUTCC Board Member, Germany

A.     Lessons from past peace processes & conflict resolutions

Dr. Raymond McCartney, Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly, Sinn Féin, International Affairs Spokesperson for Sinn Féin Party, Ireland

Ms. Nomfundo Walaza, CEO Desmond Tutu Peace Centre, South Africa

B.     Prospects for peace in Turkey: political strategies for a solution to the conflict

Ms. Songul Karabulut, Kurdistan National Congress (KNK), Belgium

Ms. Dilek Kurban, Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation (TESEV), Turkey

Prof. Dr. Ihsan Dagi, Department of International Relations at the Middle East Technical University in Ankara, Turkey

C. Europe and models for devolution

MEP Alyn Smith, Scottish National Party, Greens-EFA Group, Scotland, UK

Thursday, 18th November 2010, 17h30-18h30

Closing Session, Room ASP 3G2

Discussion and Adoption of Conference Resolution

Final Remarks by the EUTCC Board