HDK Europe Initiative held its second meeting in the Belgian capital of Brussels. Representatives from all over Europe attended the meeting and important decisions were taken regarding the founding of HDK-Europe. HDK Co-spokespersons Ertuğrul Kürkçü and Gülistan Kılıç Koçyiğit and HDK Executive Committee Member Veysel Mete Elçi attended the meeting from Turkey. The initiative decided to hold the European Congress in the fall. Attendees from Germany, the Netherlands, France, Belgium, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and other European countries decided to name the meeting “HDK Europe Congress Initiative”.

As the follow-up to the meeting in Cologne on February 28, the meeting in Brussels saw HDK Co-spokespersons Koçyiğit and Kürkçü’s and HDK Executive Council Member Elçi’s relaying of their experience and suggestions and their views on the HDK Europe.

Individuals and spokespersons from Democratic Kurdish Society Center Germany (NAV-DEM), Socialist Women’s Union (SKB), European Oppressed Immigrants Confederation (AvEG-KON), Socialist Reestablishment Party (SYKP), Kurdish Democratic Society Center Europe (KCD-E), Green-Left, European Kurdish Women’s Movement (TJK-E), Berlin and Hamburg HDK Assemblies, Country Assemblies and several others took the stand and gave speeches.

NAV-DEM Co-chair Yüksel Koç and AvEG-KON Co-chair Şafak Arabacı were elected to the council and moderated the meeting which was held in the KNK (Kurdistan National Congress) building in Brussels and started after a minute’s silence.

Yüksel Koç stated that an important milestone was reached after the strength of the elections and said “We ran an election campaign together with more than four thousand people with HDP Election Platforms and the constituent institutions. This is an important potential and it is a significant strength for these efforts.”

The declaration issued at the end of the meeting marked the start of abroad activities. The initiative intensified organising efforts in Germany and the whole of Europe immediately after the meeting and started to build a network country by country, city by city. Several countries and cities have already formed their HDK Assemblies and several others are on the way.

THIS SHOULD BE A FORCE OF SOLUTION TO PROBLEMS IN EUROPE AS WELL”

In her speech, Koçyiğit stated the following: “HDK puts Assembly efforts to the centre, in line with the understanding that the struggle for freedom and democracy will be as strong as the society’s organisation level. A HDK founded in Europe with the same perspective will have aspects that relate to Turkey, Kurdistan and Europe. It should be a force of solution to problems in Europe, as well as contributing to the general struggle for freedom and democracy in Turkey and Kurdistan.”

Kürkçü said, “This is a historic meeting we are holding. You are creating an organisation that will have effect in not only in Turkey and Kurdistan, but in Europe as well.” Stating that a program and charter are to be prepared, Kürkçü said “The rights of institutions and individuals should be kept in mind.”

THE NETWORK EXPANDS

HDK-A is expanding its network every day and continues to form assemblies in new cities and countries. The initiative will maintain a grassroots organisation structure and will work on preparations for the founding congress to be held in the fall. The organisation aims to bring together immigrants from Turkey and Kurdistan from different ethnicities and identities living in Europe with a pluralist and participatory perspective.