KHRP Executive Director, Kerim Yildiz will be joined on 16 and 17 October, by academics, NGO representatives, human rights advocates, lawyers and policy-makers from around the world at the European Parliament for the Third Annual Conference on the EU, Turkey and the Kurds.

Discussing the future of Turkey’s EU Accession Process, Yildiz, will analyse the pace and implementation of the reforms so far enacted in Turkey. He will examine the extent to which the accession process is genuinely addressing the human rights abuses which continue to be faced by Turkey’s 20 million Kurds.

The Conference which is supported by three Nobel Prize Laureates will be addressed by distinguished speakers, expert in human and minority rights issues. Speakers will discuss a wide range of pertinent concerns such as
Turkey’s new Anti-Terror law, obstacles to peace and reconciliation, judicial independence, freedom of expression and association, as well as the protection of the rights of minorities, women and internally displaced persons.

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 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Jon Rud, Secretary General, EUTCC, Tel: +34.965846645 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Kerim Yildiz , Treasurer, EUTCC, Tel: +44 (0) 207 405 3835 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Hege Ekeland, Project Assistant, EUTCC, Tel: +47 93 22 17 36 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it