BÖLL LUNCH LECTURE

Two main issues will dominate the near future of the relation between Turkey and the European Union: firstly, the definition of nation and – following from this definition - the shaping of a democratic society that respects the rights of the various ethnicities and minorities and, secondly, the relation between Islam and politics and Islam and state. In 2005, the year of the 90th anniversary of the Massacres of Armenians, the Kurdish conflict flared up so dramatically that intellectuals in Turkey warned against the disintegration of society and called for initiatives to strengthen the understanding between the Turkish and the Kurdish population. When Prime Minister Erdogan visited the Kurdish regions, he caused a vehement debate by speaking of “citizenship” or “superordinate identity” and of “subordinate” identities of ethnic and religious groups. The current violence clearly underlines the urgency to introduce a new concept of nation into the Turkish constitution and legislation as a basis for reconciliation of the different social, ethnic and religious groups. In the Turkish discussion, different societal models from within the EU are frequently referred to as solution models, but whether those (e.g. Spain or Belgium) are applicable on Turkish society remains to be seen. What are the conditions a democratic political system has to fulfill to be able to deal with an ethnically diversified society? What can the EU do to help Turkey confront these challenges and what does the EU expect from Turkey? <br><br><b>Speakers</b>:<br> Etyen Mahcupyan, director of the Democratisation Programme at TESEV (Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation)<br> Zozan Özgökçe, director of the Van Women’s organisation, Van<br> Hrant Dink, director of AGOS (Armenian Magazine)<br><br><b> Chair: </b>Dr. Ulrike Dufner, director Istanbul Office Heinrich Böll Foundation<br><BR> <b>Moderator</b>:<br> <b>Dr. Ulrike Dufner</b>, Director HBF Office Istanbul