The EU Turkey Civic Commission (EUTCC) has sent a letter to UN, US, EU - and all other relevant representatives in support of the participation of the Kurdish Supreme Council in Geneva II in which the ongoing situation in Syria will be discussed in details on 22 January 2014.

The letter was signed by Kariane Westrheim, Chair of EUTCC and the 10th EUTCC conference, on EU, Turkey and the Kurds, held 4 and 5 December 2013, under the theme ‘Turkey, the Kurds and the Imralı Peace Process: A Historical Opportunity’ was attended by EU parliamentarians, civil society activists, journalists, academics and politicians from across Turkey, Europe, America and the Middle East and discussed the peace process undertaken by Turkey’s Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the leader of the PKK, Mr. Abdullah Öcalan. Participating organisations and individuals expressed support for a political solution to the Kurdish question in Turkey and put forward recommendations for ensuring the success of the Peace Process.

In addition to its deliberations about the Peace Process in Turkey, the conference also deliberated the current situation in Syria and noted that the conflict in Western Kurdistan (Rojava) has a negative impact on the peace process underway in Turkey because, the Salafists, linked to Al –Quaida, are using Turkey for their base and logistics and that this is undermining the trust between the dialoguing parties who have implemented a bilateral ceasefire.

The conference also noted that the war in Syria has been going on for almost three years, resulting in the deaths of thousands of people, the displacement of millions more and the destruction of the country and resolved that there was a great urgency to support national, regional and international peace efforts aimed at ensuring a free and democratic future for the Kurds in Syria.

The EUTTC conference was hopeful that the Geneva II Conference to be held on 22 January 2014 would result in a peaceful and permanent solution, which will be embraced by all in Syria. Furthermore -Westrheim said- the Conference believes that the exclusion of the Kurdish people from this conference will undermine the credibility of any solution emerging from Geneva II.

The conference called for every effort be made to ensure that that Kurdish people participate in this historic step toward peace in Syria and hopefully the broader Middle East, and urged the UN, US, EU - and all other relevant representatives to support the request of the Kurdish Supreme Council (KSC) to fully participate in Geneva II as the representatives of the Kurdish people. The KSC represents a united legitimate voice of the Syrian Kurdish political parties and other social, civic, cultural and religious organizations.

“We believe that your support for the participation of the Kurdish Supreme Council in Geneva II will help to strengthen the legitimacy of Geneva II and might also serve to encourage other social formations in Syria to participate in and support the peace process Syria”, the Conference underlined.

The EUTCC is a non-governmental organisation that actively works on the issues related the EU, Turkey and the Kurds. In the scope of their work they organise an annual conference in the European Parliament in which they host politicians, academics, civil society representatives etc. from various countries of world.