The Peace & Democracy Conference to meet in Brussels
MESOP 29.5.2013 – A number of organisations, political parties and personalities from Kurdistan and Turkey gathering in Brussels on May 19, 2013 with the aim of contributing to the peace process in their country, agreed to organise a Peace and Democracy Conference on June 29-30, 2013, in this capital city of the European Union.
The participants issued a declaration to the press and public announcing the reasons and aims of such a conference. A committee consisting of 14 representatives of various associations and organizations carries out the preparations for the conference and holds talks with all relevant circles in Europe. A conference with the same aim has already been held in Ankara and two others will meet in the cities of Diyarbakir and Hewler.
Declaration to the press and public
During the historic process that we are going through, an opportunity for a lasting peace has been created that lays the foundation for a free and democratic future for all our peoples. This period marks a turning point for the future of everyone. We believe that the achievement of an enduring democracy is a common demand of everyone. In this context, we believe that all peoples, regardless of their ethnic origins, religion, language, culture, history and class positions, will carry out their historic responsibilities. The peoples living in Europe who can trace their origins to Kurdistan and Turkey are a fundamental part of this process. All the peoples and religious groups who have suffered massacres, exile and have been cut off from their lands as a result of the repressive policies of the Turkish Republic must be involved in this process and put forward their own demands.
The peace conference, scheduled to take place in Europe while others will be held elsewhere, offers a historic opportunity for all our peoples living in this continent to come together and find common solutions.
We, as representatives of the national, religious, gender based, and cultural organisations, undersigned below, have decided to organise the Peace and Democracy Conference on June 29-30, 2013. We believe that a historic initiative will be developed at the conference in order to strengthen solidarity and co-operation between our peoples in Europe and that this will lay the basis for a free and peaceful future in our country.
We are therefore issuing a call to all the ancient ethnic peoples of Anatolia and Mesopotamia now living in Europe, namely Arabs, Armenians, Assyrian-Syriacs, Circassians, Greeks, Kurds, Laz, Roms, Turks, and those of repressed beliefs: Alevi, Christian, Ezidi, Jewish, Muslim, to support the Peace and Democracy Conference where common ideas will be discussed and a programme developed that reflects the democratic aspirations and demands of all the oppressed peoples.
Let us gather at our conference for founding together an equitable and free life with our proper identities, without oppressing and being oppressed.
Signed by
Armenians from Dersim
Association of Protecting Laz Language and Culture (LAGEBURA)
Assyrian-Syriac Federation in Germany and Central Europe
Communist Party of Kürdistan
Confederation of Oppressed Migrants in Europe (Aveg-Kon)
Confederation of Alevis Unions in Europe
Confederation of Kurdish Associations in Europe (KON-KURD)
Europe Karerli Association in Europe
European Federation of Pontus Greeks
European Peace Assembly
European Platform of Exiles
Federation of Democratic Alevis (FEDA)
Federation of Democratic Workers Associations
Federation of Ezidi Associations
Federation of Kurdish Associations in Germany (YEK-KOM)
Freedom and Solidarity Party (ÖDP Europe)
Group of Ezidi Scholars
Human Rights Association Germany-Turkey (TÜDAY)
Inititative of Freedom to Ocalan
Islam Party of Kürdistan
Journalists’ Union of Kürdistan
Karakoçan Association in Europe
Kurdish Institute
Kurdish Women Movement in Europe
Kürdistan Federation of İslam Community
Peace Inititative of Kurdish and Turkish Women -Stockholm
Revolutionary Proletariat (A World to be Lived)
Socialist New Establishment Party
Sweden Peace Assembly
Union of Socialist Women
Derwich Ferho (Brussels Kurdish Institute)
Doğan Özgüden (Journalist)
Günay Aslan (Journalist-Writer)
İ. Metin Ayçiçek (Journalist-Writer)
İnci Tuğsavul (Journalist)
Mahmut Şakar (Lawyer, MAF-DAD)
Murat Çakır (Journalist-Writer)
Mustafa Ayrancı (The Union of Workers of Turkey in Netherlands)
Remzi Kartal (President of Kongra-Gel)
Teslim Töre (Politician)
Zeynel Özen (Politician)
Zübeyir Aydar (Member of KCK Executive Council)