Europe Kurdish conference to be held in June / KONGRA GEL – KCK – KNK

KNK Brussels – 20.5.2013– Associations and organizations from Kurdistan and Turkey and representatives of political parties in Europe gathered in the Belgium capital Brussels to debate the conference which will take place in Europe. The conference is part of the series of meetings Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan proposed in the context of the ongoing process for peace and democratic politics.

The meeting in Brussels was attended by the representatives of more than 60 associations and organizations as well as KONGRA-GEL President Remzi Kartal, KCK (Kurdish Communities Union) Executive Council member Zübeyir Aydar who agreed on the organization of Democracy and Peace Conference in Brussels on 29-30 June.

A committee was formed at the meeting, consisting of 14 representatives of various associations and organizations. It will take care of the preparations for the conference and hold talks with all relevant circles in Europe and calling for their participation in the conference.

According to the decision made at the meeting, 250 people will attend the conference, to include the representatives of all belief, labor, women and youth organizations in Kurdistan and Turkey. A delegation of at least two people will attend the Democracy and Peace Conference to take place in Ankara on 26-27 May.

Making the opening speech at the meeting, KONGRA-GEL President Remzi Kartal stated that Kurdish people’s leader Öcalan initiated a new phase with the call he made on 21 March in Amed. Kartal said the ongoing historic process will pave the way for the replacement of the conflict environment with democratic politics as well as a radical change to arise in Turkey and to spread into the entire Middle East region.

Kartal remarked that the talks between Öcalan and the Turkish state started after the Kurdish guerrilla movement and Kurdish people defeated Turkey’s plans against Kurds and after Turkey faced a deadlock in its Syrian policy.

Kartal stated that a general agreement has been reached in the talks in search of a solution to the Kurdish question. “Besides the assessment of the general situation, a constitutional assurance concerning the treatment of all identities on equal terms and the practice of decentralization are projected to be put into practice in the coming phase. This is what is meant to be achieved by means of constitutional-legal amendments”.

Kartal continued by explaining the three phases of this project, saying, “The first phase includes the withdrawal of guerrillas across Turkish borders and it will be followed by the second, which will witness the preparation of the substructure for a new constitution by means of legal amendments. The third phase will be the process of normalization and the matter of disarmament will be brought to the agenda once the security and freedom problems in the country are resolved and conditions are ensured for the legalization of the Kurdish movement”.

He added that separation rather than unity could be considered in the event of the failure of the process for democratic and peaceful solution to the Kurdish question.

Speaking after, KCK  Executive Council member Zübeyir Aydar said that, “We defend the unity of democratic powers rather than the imperial alliance in the region. We want peace not only with Turkey but also with Arabs, Persians and all other peoples and beliefs. We are a movement for humanity. We do not side by nationalism but stand against it”.

The participators of the meeting all put emphasis on the importance of unity and struggle by all circles that are otherized by the state and the system, including all peoples in Kurdistan and Turkey, different belief groups, workers and women.