BRUSSELS, — The 74th Anniversary of the massacre of Dersim, in which thousands of Kurdish people were killed in the hand of Turkish militaries aimed at the total annihilation of the Kurds, is commemorated by the Kurds and the anti-colonialist dynamics.
Turkish colonialist forces committed some draconian acts of violence against the Kurds in Dersim during the revolt of 1937-8.
In their attempt to eradicate the Kurds, Turkish colonialist forces wiped out the city and renamed it as Tunceli (Turkish name).
The International Conference on “the 74th Anniversary of Turkey’s Dersim Massacre” will take place in the EU Parliament Thursday 26th May, 2011.
This International Conference examines the event’s importance and seeks justice for the victims and their families. The conference is organized by EP GUE/NGL Group, Democratic Federation of Aleviti (FEDA) and the Association for Reconstruction of Dersim.
DRAFT PROGRAMME
09.30 – 09.50 Opening Session
Lothar Bisky, President of GUE/NGL Group
Representative of Democratic Federation of Aleviti (FEDA) and Representative of Association for Reconstruction of Dersim
09.50 – 10.00 Documentary on Dersim
10h00-10h50
I- THE TURKISH REPUBLIC AND THE EVENTS OF DERSIM 1937 – 38
Moderators:
Speakers:
The History of Dersim and the Reality of 38
Ms. Ph.D. Nurşen Gürboğa, Boğaziçi University, Department of History, Turkey
The State’s Plans for Dersim
Ms. Ayşe Hür, Journalist, Turkey
The Kurds, Dersim and Turkey
Mr. Şerafetin Halis, MP Peace and Democracy Party BDP, Turkey
10h50 – 12h00
II. DERSIM 1938 – THE POLITICS AND THE NEED TO CONFRONT REALITY
Moderators:
Mr. Edgar Auth, Journalist, Germany
Speakers:
Political Powers in Turkey and the Fact of Dersim 1938
Mr. Oral Çalışlar, Journalist, Turkey
Facing History in Turkish Politics
Mrs. Nuray Mert, Journalist, Turkey
The Actual Situation of Dersim
Mr. Ferhat Tunç, Singer, Democracy and Freedom Block Dersim Independent Candidate, Turkey
Questions and discussion followed by closing remarks by moderators
12.00 – 12.45
III- DERSIM 1938, INTERNATIONAL LAW AND COMPARATIVE EXPERIENCES
Moderators:
Ms. Maria Christin Vergiat, Member of Europian Parlament
Speakers:
The Dersim Massacre in the International Context of Genocide
Mr. Barry A. Fisher, Lawyer and Human Rights Defender, USA
Moving Forward: Dersim and the International Experience
Mr. Prof. Dr. Mithat Sancar, Ankara University Faculty of Law, Turkey
What Next for Turkey – The Perspective of International law
Mr. Erdal Doğan, Lawyer, Turkey
Questions and discussion followed by closing remarks by moderators
12.45-13.00
Closing Session
Adoption of a Final Declaration
MEP Jürgen Klute, GUE/NGL Group, on behalf of the European Parliament – Kurds Friendship Group, Germany
Aysel Tuğluk, Co-Chair of Democratic Society Congress (DTK) and Democracy and Freedom Block Van Independent Candidate, Turkey