The Peace and Democracy Conference in Europe, the 3rd conference to debate and decide on a working plan for the democratization of Turkey and the resolution of the Kurdish question, has opened in Brussels on Saturday.

The conference has been organized as part of the four conferences Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan proposed as a necessity for the ongoing process of talks aimed at a peaceful and democratic solution to the Kurdish question. The first two Peace and Democracy conferences were held on 25-26 May in Ankara and 15-16 June in Amed (Diyarbakır). Following the conference in Brussels, the fourth one will take place in Hewler in the coming months.

The conference is being attended by a number of institutions and individuals including representatives of Kurdish, Turkish, Armenian, Pontus-Greek, Assyrian-Syriac, Laz, Circassian, Arab and Roman peoples and Alewit, Ezidi, Christian and Islamic organizations, as well as Siirt deputy mayor Selim Sadak and BDP (Peace and Democracy Party) deputy Nazmı Gür.

The first session of the conference included presentations about the outcomes of the Ankara Conference, of the Amed Conference and of the 3. Ankara Great Alevi Congress, by Saruhan Oruç, member of the People's Democratic Congress (HDK).

Following the opening speeches by KNK (Kurdistan National Congress) co-chair Nilüfer Koç, Kongra-Gel President Remzi Kartal and KADEP Chairperson Lütfi Baksi, the session continued with the reading of the message Kurdish people's leader Abdullah Öcalan sent to the conference.

Öcalan put emphasis on the importance of the conference in terms of providing contributions of great importance to the ongoing process of negotiations.

He said the democratic solution process has entered the second stage and remarked that this stage required concrete steps without being left in suspense.

The Kurdish leader said it was time to build peace that should dominate the entire Middle East region on the basis of a new paradigmatic change in Turkish-Kurdish relations. He said the Kurdish Liberation Movement has decided on the withdrawal of armed units of the PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party) in order to give a chance to a solution. “It is thanks to PKK's fulfillment of its responsibilities that deaths have ended and the withdrawal process has been finalized to a large extend. It is now the government's turn to make a move and to enable the achievement of democratic politics now that I have conveyed to the government my proposals about the progress of the second stage”, he said.

Öcalan said the government's making necessary legal and constitutional amendments was the major step it is expected to take in this process in order to create a system that guarantees everyone's right to democratic politics. He said this stage required concrete steps without facing the risk of being left in suspense, noting that everyone should avoid statements and practices that may deepen the lack of confidence in the process.

The Kurdish leader said the government's failure to pave the way for democratic politics would conflict with the meaning of the resolution process. However- he added- we will continue making an effort and giving a struggle for the achievement of this purpose.

Öcalan called on the Kurdish people in diaspora, representatives of classes and cultures, women, oppressed sects and belief groups and all those excluded by the system to ensure active participation in the process of democratic politics and struggle by means of the Peace and Democracy Conference in Europe.

The second session of the conference witnessed debates and proposals handling the question “What sort of Turkey does the people of Turkey and Kurdistan living in Europe want?”.