Final statement of the panel debate ‘Turkey and the Kurds in dialogue: peace, reconciliation and democracy’
The EU Turkey Civic Commission (EUTCC) held a round table debate on 25 February 2026 in the European Parliament in Brussels, hosted by MEP Evin Incir, Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament.
This round table debate, entitled ‘Turkey and the Kurds in dialogue: peace, reconciliation and democracy’, came at a historic time of important steps towards a political solution of the Kurdish question in Turkey following Mr Abdullah Öcalan’s call for peace and a democratic society on 27 February 2025. Developments in Syria, the attacks by troops of the Syrian transitional government on Rojava in particular, are also very critical in this context.
A peaceful and democratic regional process is only possible with broad support.
Therefore, we demand
- The immediate introduction of legal and political measures for the progress of the process
- Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan so that he can adequately fulfil his leading role in the process
We call on the European Union and its institutions as well as the Council of Europe
- To exert pressure on the Syrian transitional government in the interests of a pluralistic Syria, so tha Rojava’s status is secured and the siege of Kobane is ended immediately
- 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 thus the democratisation of Turkey and the Middle East
- Remove the Kurdistan Workers’ Party from the terror list to send positive signals in favour of the dialogue process
…
EU Turkey Civic Commission
www.eutcc.net
Twitter: @EUTCC1
Facebook: Eu Turkey Civic Commission
Instagram: @eutcc1
“TURKEY AND THE KURDS IN DIALOGUE: PEACE, RECONCILIATION AND DEMOCRACY”
Brussels, European Parliament
Wednesday, 25th February 2026, 17.00-19:00
PANEL – Room SPINELLI 3H1
Moderator: Ms. Amberin Zaman, journalist, UK
Interpretation in English, German and Italian
- Ms. Evin Incir, MEP, Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, Sweden
- Ms. Dersim Dağdeviren, EUTCC board member, Kurd-Akad, Germany
- Mr. Andreas Schieder, MEP, Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, Austria
- Mr. Mithat Sancar, MP, Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party, Turkey
- Mr. Leoluca Orlando, MEP, The Greens/EFA, Italy tbc
- Mr. Per Clausen, MEP, The Left, Denmark
- Mr. Thijs Reuten, MEP, Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, Netherlands tbc
- Dr. Ayhan Işık, Université libre de Bruxelles and Institute of Social Studies (ISS) of Erasmus University Rotterdam, Netherlands
