Conferences

The Annual International Conference on the EU, Turkey, the Middle East and the Kurds was hosted by the EU Turkey Civic Commission (EUTCC) in cooperation with the Left Group, the Greens-European Free Alliance (GREENS/EFA) and the Groups of the Free Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D). The conference was successfully held on 26^th and 27^th of March 2025 in the European Parliament in Brussels.

At a time when wars and political uncertainty are increasing in the world and the Middle East is being reshaped, important steps are being taken towards a political solution to the Kurdish question in Turkey. Kurdish political leader Abdullah Öcalan’s historic call, on 27 February 2025, for peace and a democratic society offers a unique moment to untie the Gordian knot not only for Turkey but for the entire region. The Kurdistan Workers’ Party responded promptly with a unilateral ceasefire. The task now is to create the appropriate legal and political foundations to bring this process to a sustainable peace. The involvement of Öcalan in the peace process is crucial for its success. After more than 25 years in prison, his release would not only uphold his fundamental rights but also signal a commitment to addressing the needs and rights of the Kurdish community.

Therefore, we demand:

• An end to Turkey’s attacks on Northern Syria and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq as violation of international law
• An end to the appointment of trustees by the Turkish Ministry of the Interior
• The immediate introduction of political and legal measures to progress the initiated process
• Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan – indispensable for him to be able to fulfil his role in this process adequately
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A peaceful and democratic regional process, which will have far-reaching global implications, is only possible with broad support.  We therefore call on the European Union and its institutions as well as the Council of Europe, to:

• Recognise the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria as an indispensable democratic determinant of a united plural Syria and to strengthen it accordingly
• Enforce the immediate implementation of the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights in the case of Abdullah Öcalan
• Use all mechanisms to strengthen the process for a political solution to the Kurdish question and democratisation of Turkey and the Middle East
• Remove the Kurdistan Workers’ Party from the terror list to send positive signals in favour of the ongoing process

EU Turkey Civic Commission
www.eutcc.net
Twitter: @EUTCC1
Facebook: Eu Turkey Civic Commission
Instagram: @eutcc1

The International Conference on “Political Prisoners in Turkey: Where goes the Path of Freedom and Peace”, discussed the issue of Kurdish political prisoners and especially the issue of not hearing from Mr.
Abdullah Öcalan for 3 years, as well as the political solution to the Kurdish question. Distinguished academics, union representatives, political parties, human rights defenders, lawyers, municipal council
members and parliamentarians who attended our conference clearly stated that the torture and illegal situation that Kurdish political prisoners and Mr. Öcalan are subjected to is unacceptable.

All these personalities and representatives of institutions stated their support to the campaign ‘Freedom for Öcalan and a political solution to the Kurdish question’ campaign launched on October 10, 2023.

The participants are increasingly concerned about Mr. Öcalan’s security and well-being. Isolation is internationally recognized as a form of torture. For this form of torture to go on for three years is extremely dangerous. Mr Öcalan is being held in solitary confinement with massive effects on physical and mental health. We do not know anything about Mr Öcalan’s condition beyond the fact that he has
recently received‘disciplinary measures’ to block meetings on false pretenses and has allegedly been sent death threats.

The conference also discussed further steps and reached the following decisions:

1. The isolation on Mr. Öcalan must be lifted immediately and the European Council must intervene to allow him to meet with his family and lawyers.
2. Kurdish leader Mr. Abdullah Öcalan must be allowed to meet with his lawyers and family and, ultimately, freed under conditions that allow him to play a role in finding a just and democratic political solution to Turkey’s decades-old Kurdish conflict.
3. In light of the seriousness of the recent threats to Mr. Öcalan’s life, we call on the Committee of Ministers and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the EU and the UN to organize
   an urgent ad hoc mission to visit Abdullah Öcalan.
4. Initiating more efforts to make the alarming situation known to the public in the international and local press.
5. İn order to draw attention to the situation of the political prisoners, the unions consider a general strike for 1 minute at an appropriate time.
6. Initiation of initiatives to put the issue on the agenda of all national parliaments, especially in the EU and the CoE.
7. Suspension of all aid to the Turkish government, which violates its own domestic and international law.
8. Legal and institutional recognition of the Kurdish nation and the right to self-determination.

The EU Turkey Civic Commission (EUTCC) would like to draw attention to the issue of political prisoners inside of Turkey in general and the situation of the imprisoned Kurdish leader Mr. Abdullah Öcalan in particular. To place the corresponding gross violations of international laws and humanitarian norms on the global agenda, we are holding a special event, a mini conference inside the European Parliament on February 16th, 2024, 2 – 6 pm, which is hosted by MEP Guliano Pisapia (S&D).

We have invited eminent academics, intellectuals, and human rights activists in the hope that their dialogue will help foster more awareness and possible solutions to alleviate this growing humanitarian crisis and bring a peaceful solution to the ‘Kurdish question’.

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EU Turkey Civic Commission
www.eutcc.net
Twitter: @EUTCC1
Facebook: Eu Turkey Civic Commission

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(Programme /Download)

The Annual International Conference on the EU, Turkey, the Middle East and the Kurds was hosted by the EU Turkey Civic Commission (EUTCC) in cooperation with the The Left Group, the Greens-European Free Alliance (GREENS/EFA), the Groups of the Free Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) and the Kurdish Institute Brussels. The conference was successfully held on 6th and 7th of December 2023 in the European Parliament in Brussels.

 The Turkish Republic, which celebrate its 100th founding anniversary in 2023, has confirmed and even intensified its militaristic and anti-democratic course with the parliamentary and presidential elections. As in the past, Kurds and the Kurdish regions are particularly affected by this. Waves of arrests against Kurdish politicians are not abating. For the local elections next year, it is to be feared that Ankara will once again appoint forced administrators in the Kurdish regions.

The solitary confinement of Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan continues unabated. For three years, his lawyers and family have been denied any visits to the prison island, contrary to all legal requirements, both Turkish and international (UN and ECtHR resolutions).

The rise in gender-based violence since the AKP / Erdoğan came to power has reached a peak with the country’s withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention.

The expansionist foreign policy by the Turkish state is increasing daily which cause crimes against humanity and violates international law.  Since the beginning of October, there has been an increase in airstrikes on northern Syria, destroying a significant part of the infrastructure. Drone attacks, both in northern Syria and in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, are killing civilians on an almost daily basis. These attacks, and in particular the ongoing active support for fundamentalist, Islamist groups, are threatening peace and deepening instability in the Middle East and changing the demography.

Against the backdrop of all these developments, a political solution to the Kurdish question, a central issue in Turkey and the Middle East, is not in sight.

The EUTCC Conference therefore demands

• the European Union to act in accordance with the demands of the European Parliament’s report on Turkey, also against the background of the responsibility arising from the Treaty of Lausanne.
• the CPT to immediately publish the report on the last visit to the island in September 2022. The CPT is urgently asked to put pressure on Turkey to act and to secure the lifting of the isolation, which is against its commitments.
• the Council of Europe to take all measures resulting from the disregard of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights which Turkey is refusing to flow.
• the immediate lifting of the incommunicado detention of Abdullah Öcalan, his release according to the ´Right of Hope` legislation. Here we refer to the worldwide campaign launched in October for his freedom and a political solution to the Kurdish question, which deserves international resonance so that democracy and peace in Turkey and the Middle East have a chance.

The EUTCC Conference

• Welcomes the decision of the European Parliament to award the Sakharov Peace Prize to the Kurdish woman Jina Amini as a symbol of the maxim Jin, Jiyan, Azadi post hum and declares its solidarity with the Kurdish women’s resistance.

8 December 2023