EU-Turkey Civic Commission
Telephone Kerim Yildiz , Treasurer +44 (0) 207 405 3835
Kariane Westrheim, Chair +47 555 88 797
Monday 16 October 2006
Press Release: For immediate release
Steps taken by Turkey only ‘scratch the surface'
European Parliament, Brussels , 16 - 17 October 2006
Today, in the European Parliament in Brussels , academics, Turkish, Kurdish and European politicians, influential lawyers, human rights defenders and writers will gather to discuss the human rights and minority rights dimensions of Turkey 's accession to the EU.
The Director of the Kurdish Human Rights Project, Kerim Yildiz gave the opening speech where he asserted ‘the steps taken so far by the Turkish government have only scratched the surface', in reference to bringing the country in line with European human rights standards.
The Third International Conference on the EU, Turkey and the Kurds, is supported by Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, Dr. Shirin Ebadi, Bianca Jagger, Harold Pinter, Noam Chomsky and Mehmed Uzun.
The Conference is providing a democratic platform for the discussion of the critical role the EU should play in establishing the parameters of peaceful dialogue with all the stakeholders in the resolution of the Kurdish issue and greater democratisation in Turkey .
At this time of upheaval and social unrest in Turkey , the Conference represents a great opportunity for dialogue concerning the steps Turkey and the EU need to take for the smooth progression of the accession process.
The findings of the conference will be published and presented to the European Commission and thus present an opportunity for NGOs and individuals with regional expertise to highlight to decision-makers the successes and failures of the Turkish Government's reforms.
About the EUTCC
In November 2004 the Rafto Foundation, Kurdish Human Rights Project and Medico International hosted the first conference on EU Turkey and the Kurds in the European Parliament. As an outcome of this historic event, these organisations and the Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales established a standing Civic Commission, the EU-Turkey Civic Commission (EUTCC). Due to the vibrancy of the dialogue of the 2004 conference, a second EUTCC conference was held in September 2005.
The EUTCC is in favour of Turkish EU membership because the EU route remains the greatest hope for securing a civilised, democratic and pluralist Turkey in which a negotiated political solution to the Kurdish question is realised, but only if progress towards membership is based on tangible improvements in the protection of human rights and freedoms and the tackling of the plight of the Kurds is firmly integrated into accession negotiations.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
Kariane Westrheim, Chair of the Board of Directors, EUTCC, Tel: +47 555 88 797 kariane.westrheim@iuh.uib
Jon Rud, Secretary General, EUTCC, Tel: +34.965846645 jonrud@terra.es
Kerim Yildiz , Treasurer, EUTCC, Tel: +44 (0) 207 405 3835 khrp@khrp.org
Hege Ekeland, Project Assistant, EUTCC, Tel: +47 93 22 17 36 hege.ekeland@gmail.com
EU-Turkey Civic Commission
Patrons
Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Prize Recipient
Dr. Shirin Ebadi, Nobel Peace Prize Recipient
Bianca Jagger, Goodwill Ambassador of the Council of Europe
Harold Pinter, Playwright
Mehmed Uzun, Kurdish writer and novelist
Advisory Council
Matay Arsan Assyrian Academic Society, Netherlands
John Austin MP Labour, UK
Dogu Ergil Professor of Sociology, Ankara University,Turkey
Conny Fredriksson Chairman of Socialist International Working Group on Kurdish issues, Belgium
Michael Gunter Professor of Political Science at Tennessee Technological University, Tennessee and author of books on Kurdish question, US
Jean Lambert MEP Green Party, UK
Sarah Ludford MEP Liberal Democrat UK
Richard McKane Writer, the English Centre of International PEN UK
Dr. Konrad Melchers Editor of ‘Zeitschrift for Entwicklungspolitik', Germany
Margaret Owen Consultant on Women and Children's Rights for the Kurdish Human Rights Project and Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales UK
Denzil Potgieter Senior Counsel, Cape Bar, South Africa
Prof. Wolf Dieter Narr Lawyer and Adviser, Germany
Prof. Raimund Rütten German Attac, European Social Forum, Germany
Alyn Smith MEP Scottish Socialist Party UK
Reyhan Yalcindag Vice-President of HRA, Turkey
Andrew Duff MEP Liberal Democrat UK
Nicholas Hildyard Policy Analyst, UK
Mark Thomas Comedian, Broadcaster, journalist UK
Lord Rea House of Lords, UK
Hywel Williams MP Plaid Cymru, Wales
Hugo Charlton Human Rights Lawyer, UK
Desmond Fernandes Political Scientist, UK
Dogan Özgüden INFO-TURK, Belgium
Jill Evans MEP Green Party, Wales
Dr. Phil Tove Skutnabb-Kangas Expert on Minority Education and Linguistic Human Rights, Denmark
Estella Schmid Human Rights Activist, UK
Prof. Robert Phillipson Expert on Linguistics, Copenhagen Business School, Denmark
Stuart Kerr Human Rights Barrister, England
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