The treaty signed 99 years ago in Lausanne, Switzerland, divided Kurdistan into four parts. Since then, the Kurds have been subjected to genocide, assimilation and massacres under the sovereignty of another state in each part of Kurdistan. Under the leadership of the KNK (National Congress of Kurdistan), 57 political parties and organisations are jointly organising a conference to take a stand against the Treaty of Lausanne from a Kurdish perspective. The conference will take place on Sunday in the building where the Treaty of Lausanne was signed. With the exception of the KDP party, which is dominated by the Barzani clan, a broad spectrum of Kurdish structures will be represented. Numerous politicians, artists and academics from the four parts of Kurdistan and the diaspora have already arrived in Lausanne to take part in the conference. Among the participants at the conference in Lausanne is the co-chair of the European Democratic Kurdish Society Congress (KCDK-E), Yüksel Koç.

Yüksel Koç told ANF in advance that the main aim of the conference was to reveal a common attitude of Kurdish structures towards the Treaty of Lausanne: "A national conference will take place in Lausanne on 24 July. Under the leadership of the KNK, but not only the KNK, political structures, artists, academics and intellectuals from four parts of Kurdistan will participate in the conference which will focus on the Treaty of Lausanne. One hundred years ago, the Treaty of Lausanne led to the assimilation and genocide of the Kurds. With this treaty, Kurdistan was divided into four parts and occupied by four states. The entire genocide is being carried out on the basis of this treaty."

Koç noted that a joint declaration would be adopted at the end of the conference, in which "a national stance will be expressed". The KCDK-E co-chair also pointed to the threats of the Turkish state against the Rojava revolution and stated that the defence of Rojava is a fundamental task:

"A century ago, the Kurds were unorganised and defenceless. However, the Kurds have paid a high price in recent years. They have gained autonomy in Rojava. A system has been established there. In Southern Kurdistan, a political administration has more or less been established. The struggle in Northern Kurdistan has reached such a point that it determines Turkey's policy. This is generally recognised. The Kurdish people are a major player in the politics of the Middle East. The Turkish occupying state is currently trying to destroy the revolution of Rojava, the achieved status and achievements of the Kurdish people. For this reason, this conference is very important. It is taking place at an important time, both for the unity of the Kurds and for the defence of Kurdistan."

Due to space limitations, only a limited number of participants have been invited to the conference. Those who cannot attend have the opportunity to follow the event on digital platforms. The conference will be broadcast live from start to finish on Twitter and on the YouTube channel.

YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xU0gChdVZ

Twitter account: https://twitter.com/avrupa_medya