Time for Change in Turkey !To be held at the European Parliament, Brussels , 28-29 January 2009.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 five 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 who together with the EUTCC patrons; Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, Dr. Shirin Ebadi, Bianca Jagger, Noam Chomsky, Yasar Kemal and Leyla Zana in different ways express their request for real changes in Turkey .
The 5th international conference is dedicated the late Nobel Laureate and Playwright Harold Pinter who has been patron of the previous conferences and a dear friend of the Kurds. The EUTCC honors Harold Pinter’s memory.
ContactKariane WestrheimChair of EUTCC
Menneskerettighetenes plass 1
5007 Bergen, Norway
Telephone: +47 976 42 088
www.eutcc.org /
brussels_conference@yahoo.com **
Wednesday, 28 JANUARY 2009, 15h00-16h00 Opening Session- Room ASP 1G3 OPENING REMARKS
•
Ms. Kariane Westrheim,
Chair of the "EU Turkey Civic Commission" (EUTCC), and Associate
Professor at the University of Bergen, Norway and All Board Member of
EUTCC
OPENING SPEECHES
Mr. Yasar Kemal (Turkey), Writer
Ms. Leyla Zana (Turkey), EP Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, Rafto 1994 AwardMr. Francis Wurtz (France), MEP, Chair GUE/NGL Group in the EP
Wednesday, 28 JANUARY 2009, 16h00-18h30 Session I, Room ASP 1G3 EU - TURKISH ACCESSION – INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES
Moderators: Ms Songul KARABULUT (European Peace Council)
A. THE REVIEW AND PROGRESS OF EU ACESSION
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Mr. Kerim YILDIZ, Executive Director of the Kurdish Human Rights Project, UK
B. EU REFORM PROCESS – AND FUTURE PROSPECTS
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Mr. Andrew DUFF, MEP, Vice-President, EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee, ALDE-Group in EP, UK
• Representative of the EU Presidency and/or EU Commission (to be confirmed)
C. THE TURKISH AND KURDISH PERSPECTIVE ON EU ACCESSION
• Mr. Ahmet TURK, MP, Chairman of DTP (Democratic Society Party)D. THE ROLE OF EUROPE IN PROMOTING DEMOCRATIC CHANGES
• Mr. Amed DICLE, Kurdish Journalist, Belgium•
Ms. Pasqualina NAPOLETANO, Member of the European Parliament, Vice-Chair of PSE Group
E. SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: PROSPECTS FOR LONG-TERM CHANGE THROUGH THE EU PROCESS
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Ms. Sarah LUDFORD, Member of the European Parliament, ALDE Group
• Mr. Osman BAYDEMIR, Mayor - Diyarbakir, Turkey
F. TURKEY, EU & INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
• Professor Dr. Michael M. GUNTER, Tennessee Technological University, USAQuestions and discussion, closing remarks by moderators
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Thursday, 29 JANUARY 2009, 09h30-13h00 Session II, Room ASP 1G3 EU TURKISH ACCESSION, HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE RULE OF LAW
Moderators:
Mr. Jon RUD (Lawyer, Spain) and Ms. Jean LAMBERT (Member of the
European Parliament, Vice-Chair of Greens-EFA Group, UK)
A. TURKEY’S COMPLIANCE WITH INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS OBLIGATIONS
•
Mr. Ibrahim BILMEZ, Attorney at Law, Istanbul, Turkey
B. THE ROLE OF CIVIL SOCIETY IN PROMOTING DEMOCRATIC CHANGE
• Jonathan FRYER, Chairman, Liberal International British Group, UK •
Emilio MOLINARI, Chair of the World Water Contract Italian Section, Italy
C. CIVIL & POLITICAL RIGHTS AND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE COPENHAGEN CRITERIA
• Mr. Ozturk TURKDOGAN, Lawyer, President of IHD, Turkish HRA, Turkey•
Mr. Omer F. GERGERLIOGLU, President of MAZLUM-DER, Turkey
D. THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN BUILDING DEMOCRACY
• Ms. Sara AKTAS, Women Movement DOKH, TurkeyE. DEVELOPMENT OF CULTURAL & LINGUISTIC RIGHTS
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Ms. Frieda BREPOELS, Member of the European Parliament, EPP Group
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Mr. Eurig WYN, Plaid Cymru, Wales
F. CONSTITUTIONAL REFORMS AND THE IMPACT ON EU ACCESSION
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Mr. Cengiz CANDAR, Journalist, Turkey
Questions and discussion, closing remarks by moderators
Thursday, 29 JANUARY 2009, 15h00 - 16h30 Session III, Room ASP 1G3 ONGOING CONFLICT: DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES
Moderators: Mr. Ayhan BILGEN (Peace Parliament, Turkey) and
Ms.
Margaret OWEN (Barrister, Founder Member of Gender Action for Peace and
Security, member of the UK Bar Human Rights Committee, UK)
A. THE EFFECT OF CROSS-BORDER OPERATIONS IN NEIGHBOURING STATES
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Ms. Dr. Susan BREAU, Reader in International Law and Assistant Associate Dean for Research at the School of Law at the University of Surrey, UK
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Mr. Mark MULLER QC, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the KHRP, Board member EUTCC, and Chair of the Bar Human Rights Committee, UK
B. PROSPECTS FOR A DEMOCRATIC, PEACEFUL SOLUTION TO KURDISH QUESTION
• Mr. Adem UZUN, KNK Executive Committee Member, Belgium• Prof. Dr. Dirk ROCHTUS, Expert of International Relations, Belgium C. IS TURKEY READY FOR DIALOGUE WITH KURDS?
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Mr. Hans BRANSCHEIDT, Board Member of EUTCC, Germany
D. LESSONS FROM INTERNATIONAL PEACE PROCESSES
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Mr. Brian CURRIN, Lawyer, South Africa
Questions and discussion, closing remarks by moderators
Thursday, 29 JANUARY 2009, 16h30-18h00 Closing Session, Room ASP 1G3• Discussion and Adoption of Conference Resolution-Final Remarks by the Board of the EUTCC
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