Versions1st Int. Conf. on the EU, Turkey and the Kurds [English, London, 2005]
2nd Int. Conf. on the EU, Turkey and the Kurds [English, London, 2006]
3rd Int. Conf. on the EU, Turkey and the Kurds [English, London, 2007]
4th Int. Conf. on the EU, Turkey and the Kurds [English, London, 2009]
5th Int. Conf. on the EU, Turkey and the Kurds [English, London, 2010]
Editor’s note
The fourth annual EU-Turkey Civic Commission (EUTCC) Conference was held on 3-4 December 2007 at the European Parliament in Brussels. The event was hosted by the founders of the EUTCC, namely, the Bar Human Rights Committee of
England and Wales (UK); the Kurdish Human Rights Project (UK); medico international (Germany); and the Rafto Foundation (Norway), and was supported by members of the European Parliament. The conference was dedicated to the
memory of the Kurdish writer Mehmed Uzun, the principle pioneer of modern Kurdish literature, who died on 10 October 2007.
This publication sets out the speeches and papers of the 2007 Conference, including the Final Resolutions, in order to give an idea of the key issues discussed over the 2 days of the conference, although not all remarks by moderators have been included. A brief account of the background to the Conference can be found below; for a more comprehensive guide to the accession process and related recent developments in Turkey, the Background Paper that was given to Conference delegates is included in this publication (Appendix 1).
For the purposes of publication, the speeches reproduced here have been edited and in some cases abridged or transcribed from the translations made at the conference on each day. Where given, the title of each speech has been included. Where speeches were submitted to the publisher as papers, author’s footnotes have been retained.
The opinions expressed in this work do not necessarily represent the views of the EUTCC. Contents
List of Abbreviations / 10
Editor’s Note / 11
Introduction / 13
Opening Speeches / 17
Session 1. Democratisation in Turkey and the EU Reform Process: Political Participation and the Kurds / 27
1.1 EU-Turkey Accession talks and Turkish membership of the EU – developments and future prospects / 27
Speaker: Kerim Yıldız-Joost Lagendijk
1.2 Democratic transformation – the implementation of legal and constitutional reforms / 36
Speaker: Akin Özçer
1.3 Can Turkey become a full member of the EU before a resolution of the Kurdish Issue? / 40
Speakers: Ahmet Türk-Vittorio Agnoletto
Session 2. Human Rights, Fundamental Freedoms and Recent Developments in the Turkish Accession to the EU / 47
2.1 The Ilısu Dam project: Environmental, social and political impact. Building support for the Save Hasankeyf Campaign / 47
Speaker: Emilio Molinari
2.2 Human Rights – commitment and implementation / 50
Speaker: İbrahim Bilmez
2.3 Democratic decentralisation and local governance / 53
Speaker: Nurettin Demirtaş
2.4 The role of women in the struggle for democracy and peace / 56
Speakers: Pelgüzar Kaygusuz-Margaret Owen
Session 3. Ongoing Conflict and the Accession Process / 67
3.1 The Need for dialogue: Democratic participation, political representation and civil actors / 67
Speakers: Cengiz Güleç-Abdullah Demirbaş
3.2 Peace-making efforts and the armed conflict / 73
Speaker: Mark Muller
3.3 The Applicability of Humanitarian Law to the Current Conflict in Turkey / 77
Speaker: Susan Breau
3.4 Improving support for the peace process: The role of the EU, European governments and NGOs / 91
Speaker: Hugh Pope
3.5 Prospects for Peace and Democratic Reconciliation in Turkey: Old mistakes and new opportunities / 96
Speaker: Doğu Ergil
Session 4. Conflict Resolution and a Democratic Future for Turkey and the Kurds / 103
4.1 Lessons from international peace processes / 103
Speaker: Clem McCartney
4.2 Choosing to engage: The Kurdish project / 109
Speaker: Ali Yiğit
4.3 Government policy on the Kurds in Turkey / 113
Speaker: Baskın Oran
4.4 How the resolution of the Kurdish question can open the road for democracy in Turkey and the Middle East / 118
Speaker: Michael Gunter
Final Resolution from the Fourth International Conference on the EU, Turkey and the Kurds / 125
Appendix I: Background Paper / 131
About the Contributors / 157 What the EUTCC does
The EU-Turkey Civic Commission (EUTCC) was established in November 2004 as the outcome of the first international conference on ‘The EU, Turkey and the Kurds’ held in the European Parliament in Brussels on 22-23 November 2004.
The EUTCC supports Turkey’s bid for EU accession, but only insofar as it meets the conditions for membership as defined by the accession agreements. In particular, it must demonstrate that it has achieved the condition of “stability of institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights and respect for and protection of minorities” as required by the EU’s Copenhagen Criteria for membership.
Thus the EUTCC seeks to ensure that the accession process is used to achieve respect for human and minority rights in Turkey, as well as a peaceful, just and democratic solution to the Kurdish situation.
The EUTCC monitors the European Commission's performance in ensuring Turkey's full compliance with the accession criteria, as defined within the meaning of the accession agreements, and conducts regular audits to that end. It disseminates accurate and objective information to EU institutions, other governmental and nongovernmental organizations and to the public in Turkey and the EU in order to bring attention both to the progress Turkey has made and the shortcomings that persist. It also seeks to play a positive role in the negotiation process by making recommendations and acting as a point of contact for the parties involved.
The annual conference brings together contributors from all over the world including leading academics, writers, legal experts, human rights organisations, and prominent Turkish and Kurdish intellectuals. The goal of the conference is to exchange information and ideas, and to produce resolutions and recommendations to advance the EUTCC’s aims and activities. FOURTH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THE EU, TURKEY AND THE KURDS
In memory of the Kurdish writer Mehmed Uzun
European Parliament,
Brussels
3rd – 4th December 2007
Layout & Design: Visualize, London
www.visualizeprint.co.uk
Keywords: Turkey, minorities, accession, EU
Printed in Great Britain
January 2009
ISBN:978-1-905592-22-7
Published by the Kurdish Human Rights Project (London)
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