10th International Conference on the EU, Turkey & the Kurds - Turkey, the Kurds and the Imrali Peace Process: An Historic Opportunity

Brussels, European Parliament, 4th & 5th of December 2013 Room: ASP 1G2

Wednesday, 4th December 2013, 15.00-16.30

Opening Session, Room ASP 1G2

Opening Remarks and Greetings

MEP Ms. Gabi Zimmer, Chair of the European United Left - Nordic Green Left Group (GUE/NGL) in the European Parliament, Germany

Ms. Kariane Westrheim, PhD, Chair of EUTCC, Associate Professor, University of Bergen, Norway

Opening Speeches:

MP Ms. Leyla Zana, Member of the Turkish Parliament, European Parliament's Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, Rafto Prize Laureate, Turkey

MEP Mr. Jürgen Klute, Coordinator of the EP-Kurds Friendship Group, GUE/NGL Group, Germany

Me Antoine Comte, Lawyer, France

Video messages by Conference's Patrons

Video trailer of previous nine conferences
Professor Noam Chomsky, Writer, the USA
Mr. Yasar Kemal, Writer, Turkey

Wednesday, 4th December 2013, 16.30-18.30

Panel I, Room ASP 1G2

Reforming the State and Reconciling Society: Constitutional, political and social reforms in Turkey

Moderator:

MEP Mr. Iñaki Irazabalbeitia Fernández, Greens-EFA Group

Speakers

MP Ms. Gülten Kisanak, co-Chair, BDP, Turkey
MP AKP, Turkey (to be confirmed)
MP Mr. Sezgin Tanrıkulu, CHP MP for Istanbul, Turkey
Ms. Emma Sinclair-Webb, Senior Researcher, Human Rights Watch
Mr. Hüseyin Yayman, Academic, Member of Wise People Commission, Turkey
Mr. Dogu Ergil, Academic, Member of the Wise people Commission, Turkey
Mr. Hasan Cemal, Journalist, Turkey
Mr. Hugh Pope, International Crisis Group

Questions and discussion with moderators & discussants

Thursday, 5th December 2013, 09.30-13.00
Panel II, Room ASP 1G2

Peace-building Initiatives and Imrali Peace Process: The role of the international community and the EU in promoting justice and democracy in Turkey

Moderator:

MEP Mr. Søren Bo Søndergaard, GUE/NGL Group, Denmark

Speakers

MP Mr. Ahmet Türk, co-Chair of the DTK, Turkey
Professor David L. Phillips, Director, Program on Peace-building and Rights, Columbia University Institute for the Study of Human Rights, United States of America
Dr. Günter Seufert, German Institute for International and Security Affairs – SWP, Germany
MEP Ms. Marie-Christine Vergiat, GUE/NGL Group, France
MEPS (to be confirmed)

Questions and discussion with moderators & discussants

Thursday, 5th December 2013, 15.00-17.30
Panel III, Room ASP 1G2

The Kurdish Democratic Project: Strategies and policies to bring peace to the Middle East

Moderator:
Professor Michael Gunter, EUTCC, United States of America

Mr. Jonathan Spyer, Middle East analyst, Israel
Mr. Joost Jongerden, Academic, The Netherlands
Mr. Mala Bakhtiyar, Chief of Executive Body of Political Bureau, Patriotic Union of Kurdistan – PUK, Kurdistan
Ms. Amberin Zaman, Turkey Correspondent of the Economist, Turkey
Mr. Zübeyir Aydar, Member of the Executive Board of Kurdistan National Congress (KNK)
Mr. Saleh Muslim, Co-President of the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD), Syria

Questions and discussion with moderators & discussants

Thursday, 5th December 2013, 17.30-18.30
Panel IV, Room ASP 1G2

Conclusions, Recommendations and Final Remarks by EUTCC Board Members

Interpretation available in Turkish, English, French, German, Italian, Spanish and Dutch

Patrons

Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, South Africa

Dr. Shirin Ebadi, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Iran

Bianca Jagger, Council of Europe Goodwill Ambassador, Chair of the Bianca Jagger Human Rights Foundation, UK

Professor Noam Chomsky, Writer, USA

Yasar Kemal, Writer, Turkey

Vedat Turkali, Writer, Turkey

Leyla Zana, European Parliament's Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, Rafto Prize Laureate, Turkey