Programme for “Dêrsim Conference”

Opening Music Ciwan Hajo: "Dêrsim Welat ma yo"
Presentation of the program by Ayse Göktepe and Evin Cetin
Opening address by CHAK, Seyidxan Anter
David Gaunt, professor of History since 1975 at Uppsala University
Evin Cicek, researchers and writers on Dêrsim genocide
Film about Dêrsim
BDP / DTP parliamentarians in the Turkish Parliament from Dersim, Sherefetin Halis

The Party of European Socialists (PES) condemns the decision taken by the Constitutional Court of Turkey on Friday 11 December 2009 to ban the DTP, one of the main opposition parties in the Parliament. As part of this ruling, 37 members and executives of the party were banned, including its leader, Mr. Ahmet Turk. Although 19 members of the party still sit in the Parliament, they have lost their official group status and consequently have only a marginal role.

The Presidency of the European Union expresses its concern in relation to the decision by the Constitutional Court to close the Democratic Society Party (DTP) and ban a number of its democratically elected representatives from political activity. While strongly denouncing violence and terrorism, the Presidency recalls that the dissolution of political parties is an exceptional measure that should be used with utmost restraint.

The EUTCC strongly deplores the Turkish Constitutional Court’s decision to ban the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP). So far 37 members of the DTP have been banned from official politics. DTP was the first pro-Kurdish party to enter the Turkish parliament in 14 years. The closure of the DTP creates an unfortunate political climate and confirms that Turkey’s peace initiative so far has not been reliable.

Mesopotamia is a historically important region. In this region mankind experienced one of its earliest civilizations. During the course of history in Mesopotamia was built sites and irrigation channels around the rivers Euphrates and Tigris which some of even has made it to today.

In Mesopotamia, for the first time, humans began to leave their caves, and instead built their homes to live in. They built this historical heritage of the ancient peoples such as Armenians, Kurds, Jews, Assyrians, etc. This is an important demonstration for our multicultural region.

Today these historic buildings are ruins. They are living proof of human history and culture. They are the world's cultural heritage, and are so important to protect.

In recent time, many of these historical buildings and ruins in Southern Kurdistan (Iraq) was to a extent destroyed and looted by ordinary people, but to a bigger extent destroyed by the authorities that were responsible of these areas

The former member of the board of the Swedish Green Party Jabar Amin is a well-known politician in Sweden. He was one of the election observers in South Kurdistan (Iraq), and followed the election and the results in many days. We interviewed Amin about the election and the outcome, and the situation of the human rights in Southern Kurdistan.