The 8th International Conference on EU Turkey and the Kurds

7th-8th December, 2011

EP Brussels

“The Quest for Democracy in Turkey - Universal Rights and Kurdish Self-Determination and the Struggles over the New Constitution”

Opening Speech

Kariane Westrheim, EUTCC chair

Dear Patrons, EUTCC Advisory Council, Distinguished Speakers and Moderators, Honoured Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen!

On behalf of the EU Turkey Civic Commission(EUTCC), it is my great pleasure to welcome you all to the 8th International Conference on EU Turkey and the Kurds. The conference is sponsored by the EUTCC founding organisations; and our partners in the European Parliament the Confederal Group of the European United Left and the Nordic Green Left, (GUE/NGL). Without the European Parliament’s contribution and also the EP-Kurd Friendship Group, providing us with good a location, meals and professional simultaneous interpretation, it would have been difficult to hold this conference annually and definitely not at this level. Thank you so much. I also take the opportunity to welcome all the speakers, moderators, EUTCC Advisors and participants for making this conference possible.

I will now read some of the written greetings to the conference, others can be found at the conference desk

(WRITTEN GREETINGS)

During the years of existence this conference has established itself as an international key event. The aim of the EUTCC has always been to keep this conference open to all parties and that is why influential actors from Kurdish and Turkish side along with highly recognized international politicians; scholars, lawyers, journalists, NGOs and many others have found their way to Brussels each year. The honourable patrons of the 8th International Conference are; Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, Dr. Shirin Ebadi, Bianca Jagger, Noam Chomsky, Yasar Kemal, Vedat Turkali and Leyla Zana, who have lent their good names to the conference.

There is much to be said about the development that has taken place in Turkey these eight years, and even though Turkish policy towards the Kurds in many ways are worse than ever, one fact stands clear; never before were the Kurds more jointly determinedas now, never before has the Kurdish peoples will to struggle for a peaceful and democratic solution to the problems been stronger. If we look at 2011; nearly eight thousand, adults, youth and children have been arrested – among them legally elected Kurdish politicians, mayors, activists, NGO workers, journalists and writers, and recently trade unionists, and 34 lawyers representing Mr. Abdullah Öcalan’slegal team. One of the latter, Mr. Ibrahim Bilmez was a speaker several times at this conference; another lawyer Mr. Cengiz Cicek was supposed to speak tomorrow, but as you will see his seat is empty. All these sad examplesof mistaken Turkish policy will never succeed though; the Kurdish movement in Turkey will not stop until a sustainable political solution to the problems is found. At the end of the day there has to be a negotiated solution to the current situation, and such an initiative has to include allthe parties involved. Therefore,the KurdsQuest for Democracy in Turkey – they quest for Universal Rights and Kurdish Self-Determination and (the Struggles over the) a New Democratic Constitution. This is also what this conference is about.

(VIDEO GREETINGS)

1)Before I proceed to the distinguished guests joining me at the Opening panel I will ask you to listen to a video message from one of the world’s leading voices for peace and reconciliation, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu.

2)I also ask you to pay attention to the next video message; Vedat Turkali, a former political prisoner, now one of Turkey’s significant authors and playwrights, for which he won many national and international awards. But first and foremost Mr. Turkali is a long-time outspoken friend of the Kurds.

3)The last video message comes from the well-known and recognised Great-mayor of Diyarbakir, Mr. Osman Baydemir who has been with us several times in the European Parliament, but who is declined from leaving Turkey.

(PRESENTATION OF THE SPEAKER)

I am delighted to be joined in opening this conference by Ms. Leyla Zana, Mr. Ahmet Türk, Mr. Jürgen Klute, Mr. Lincoln Davis and Mr. Jim Karygiannis.

1)I will start with Ms. Leyla Zana–a winner of the European Parliament's Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought and the Rafto Prize. Leyla Zana’sstruggle for the Kurdish people is well known all over the world, a struggle that had crucial impact - not at least for women. Leyla Zana is a Member of the Turkish Parliament. Let me hand over to her to give her opening comments. Please the floor is yours.

2)I am deeply honored to introduce the next and highly respected speaker, Mr. Ahmet Türk, who has been a main political figure in Kurdish politics as long as I can remember. You are a history book in yourself. Today he is a Member of the Turkish Parliament, and the Co-Chair of the Democratic Society Congress (DTK) inTurkey. Mr. Turk has followed (nearly) all the conferences at the EP, and we are very grateful for that. Please the floor is yours.

3)In 2009 the EP-Kurds Friendship Group, GUE/NGL Group was established in in Strasbourg by European parliamentarians from different countries and political groups. The aim is to monitor the political process in Turkey, especially in regard of the peaceful solution of the Kurdish issue. Im honoured to give the floor to its coordinator Mr. Jürgen Klute, who is a Member of the European Parliament and Member of the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee. The floor is yours.

4)Im am proud to introduce to youthe former US Congressman (2003-2011), Mr. Lincoln Daviesof Tennessee who has an impressive political record. Mr. Davies is theco-founder and former co-chair of the Kurdish Caucus in US Congress. We need good and influential supporters from the US, and I guess we can count on you from now on. Welcome Mr. Davies – the floor is yours. We are honored to welcome you to the conference and please the floor is yours.

5)All the way from Canada we heartily welcome Mr. Jim Karygiannis, Member of the Canadian Parliament, House of Commons where he represents the Liberal Group. Mr. Karygiannis has an impressive international record when it comes to solidarity actions and support, also towards the Kurds. We appreciate your presence very much and are looking forward to your opening speech.Please the floor is yours

Before I call on the next panel I would like you to pay attention to the photos along the walls in this room. Theyare taken from this book (show book) in French titled Kurdistan. The authors are inviting you to a reception and a book launching just after the conference at 6.30pm. The reception will take place just outside the conference room. After that the book will be presented by the authors inside this room.

Thank you for following the Opening panel and I call on moderators and speakers of Panel I, please step forward and take your seats.

1