Conference of Kurdish Issue, Developments in Middle East kicks off in Athens

The conference titled "The Kurdish Issue and Developments in the Middle East," organized by the Center for Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, has kicked off in the Greek capital, Athens.

Among the attendees are Ghareeb Hesso, the Co-Chair of the Democratic Union Party (PYD), Ilham Ahmed, the Co-Chair of the Department of Foreign Relations of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, Sama Bekdash, the Co-Chair of the PYD’s Diplomatic Relations Office, as well as academics, politicians, and journalists.

In his opening remarks, Ghareeb Hesso recalled the attacks carried out by the Ba'ath regime and ISIS mercenaries, emphasizing that war crimes and assaults by the Turkish state are ongoing. He said, “Groups like al-Nusra have come to power, and the regime is filled with mercenaries,” adding that “Turkey openly supports these groups. The main goal is to destroy our democratic project.”

Hesso stressed their demand for a democratic system that acknowledges the rights of the Kurdish people, and he expressed gratitude to the Greek people for their support.

Throughout the day, there will be three sessions and two keynote speeches.

The first session will assess the current situation of the Kurds in Syria. It will be moderated by Zakia Aqra, with speakers including Professor Sotiris Roussos from the University of Peloponnese, Assistant Professor Antonis Deriziotis from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, and academic Katia Zagoritou.

Following a break, former Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias will deliver a keynote address at 12:00 PM.

The second session will feature presentations on the Democratic Autonomous Administration and the influence of Leader Abdullah Ocalan in the region. Moderated by Ioannis Albanis, this session includes journalist Stavros Lygeros, Petros Papaconstantinou, Assistant Professor Thomas Schmidinger from the University of Hawler, and Professor Amy Austin Holmes from George Washington University.

After that, Ilham Ahmed, the Co-Chair of the Department of Foreign Relations in the AANES, will give a speech.

The final session will discuss the role of regional powers and the Kurdish issue. Moderated by Sotiris Roussos, it will feature Professor Konstantinos Filis, Stavros Drakoularakos from the University of Nicosia, and Kamal Chomani from the University of Leipzig.

The conference will conclude with closing remarks by Sama Bekdash, the Co-Chair of the PYD’s Diplomatic Relations Office. 

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ANHA