6th INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON "EU, TURKEY AND THE KURDS"

"Turkey and the Kurdish conflict:Political dialogue & Peace-building"/ European Parliament, Brussels 3rd & 4th February 2010 - Room ASP 1G2 - 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; Leyla Zana, European Parliament's Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, Rafto Prize Laureate, Turkey
DRAFT PROGRAM OF THE CONFERENCE

Wednesday, 3rd February 2010, 15h00-16h00
Opening Session, Room ASP 1G2

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

Opening Speeches
Ms. Leyla Zana, EP Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, Rafto Prize Laureate, Turkey
Mr. Lothar Bisky, MEP, Chair European United Left / Nordic Green Left (GUE/NGL), Germany
Mr. Ahmet Turk, former Co-Chair of Democratic Society Party (DTP), Turkey
Mr. /Ms. ..............., representative of South Africa (name to be confirmed)

Wednesday, 3rd February 2010, 16h00-18h30
Session I, Room ASP 1G2

Recent Peace Initiatives in Turkey & Different Perspectives

Moderators:
Professor Michael Gunter, Board member EUTCC, USA
Ms. Jean Lambert, MEP, Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance, Vice-Chairwoman, UK

A. Turkish Government Initiatives
Mr. Hasan Cemal, Journalist, Turkey

B. Kurdish Peace Initiatives
Ms. Emine Ayna, MP BDP, former Co-President of Democratic Society Party (DTP), Turkey

C. European Union, Turkey and the Kurds: a European Perspective
Ms. Helene Flautre, MEP, Co-Chairman of the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee, Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance, France

Mr. Jurgen Klüte, MEP, European United Left / Nordic Green Left (GUE/NGL), Germany

European Commission (to be confirmed)

Questions and discussion followed by closing remarks by moderators

Thursday, 4 February 2010, 09h30-13h00
Session II, Room ASP 1G2

Review of EU-Turkey Accession Progress, Human Rights & Democratization

Moderators:
Ms. Jill Evans, MEP, Greens/European Free Alliance, Vice-President of Plaid Cymru, UK
Mr Jon Rud, Lawyer, Advisory Board of EUTCC, Norway / Spain

A. Human Rights Violations - Commitment and Implementation
M.Emin Aktar, Chairman of Diyarbakir Bar Association, Turkey

B. EU & Human Rights in Turkey
Mr. Richard Howitt, MEP, Socialists & Democrats Group, UK

C. EU-Turkey Relation and the Kurdish issue
Baroness Sarah Ludford, MEP, Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, UK

D. Freedom of Expression
Mr. Oral Calislar, Journalist, Turkey

E. Human Rights Defenders & Implementation of European Court of Human Rights Judgments
Mr. Ibrahim Bilmez, Lawyer, Turkey

F. Social & Economic situation
Ms. Ece Temelkuran, Journalist, Turkey

G. Women's Rights
Ms. Sabahat Tuncel, MP, Turkey

H. EU Enlargement Policy and the Kurdish issue
Mr. Soren Bo Sondergaard, MEP, European United Left - Nordic Green Left Group, Denmark

Questions and discussion followed by closing remarks by moderators

Thursday, 4 February 2010, 15h00 - 18h00
Session III, Room ASP 1G2

Possible Roadmap for the Kurdish Resolution & Role of the EU

Moderators:
Mr. Hans Branscheidt, Board of Directors, EUTCC, Germany
Ms. Ramani Muttettuwegama, Lawyer, Sri Lankan Human Rights Forum, Sri Lanka

VIDEO MESSAGE of Mr. Osman Baydemir, Mayor of Diyarbakir, Turkey (*)
(*) "video message" because Mr Baydemir has been recently prohibited to travel outside Turkey, this means that Turkish authorities are not allowing him to participate to the Conference

A. State Policy Towards the Kurdish Resolution
Prof. Dogu Ergil, Ankara University, Turkey

B. Recognition of the Conflict &, Political Dialogue
Mr. Kerim Yildiz, Chief Executive of KHRP and Board Member of the EUTCC, UK

C. The role of the European Union in the democratization process in Turkey
Mr. Takis Hadjigeorgiou, MEP, European United Left - Nordic Green Left, Cyprus

D. Prospects for Peace and Democratic Reconciliation
Mr. Felat Sumerkan, KNK representative, Turkey

E. The role of the EU in the implementation of a "road map for peace"
Mr. Rui Tavares, MEP, European United Left - Nordic Green Left, Portugal

Tuesday, 4 February 2010, 18h00-18h30
Closing Session, Room ASP 1G2

Discussion and Adoption of Conference Resolution
Final Remarks by the Board of the EUTCC