KSSO press release about clossure of DTP
Posted by KSSO in Campaigns, Community, News on 15. Dec, 2009 | No Comments
We, at Kurdish Studies and Student Organization (KSSO) are deeply concerned about the decision by the Turkish Constitutional Court to close down the only pro-Kurdish party in the Turkish parliment, DTP (Demokratik Toplum Partisi – Democratic Society Party).
We urge Members of Parliament (MPs), Members of European Parliament (MEPs), human rights organizations and campaigners, academics and trade unions to send a strong message to the Turkish authorities to solve the Kurdish issue peacefully.
Human Rights Violations in Turkey, the Kurds and the EU
Posted by KSSO in Calender, Campaigns, News on 04. Dec, 2009 | No Comments
[ December 10, 2009; 19:00 to 20:00. ]
Urgent! Change of speaker
We regret to inform you that there has been a change of speaker for the seminar on Thursday 10th December 2009. Mr Akin Birdal, a human rights lawyer and senior DTP politician, has postponed his UK visit due to the threat of a ban of his political party, the pro-Kurdish DTP, by Turkish the Constitutional Court. In his place, Medeni Kırcı, a member of the DTP Foreign Affairs Committee will be speaking. The meeting will be chaired by Prof. Mary Davis. We apologize for this short notice and look forward to see you at our seminar, these recent developments will be addressed at the seminar too.
Speaker: Mr Medeni Kırcı, member of the DTP Foreign Affairs Committee
Chaired by Prof Mary Davis
Date: 10th December 2009 at 7:00 pm
Venue: G50 School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London (SOAS) Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London WC1H 0XG
Speaker Medeni Kirici, political analyst
UCU, SOAS SU, EUTCC, Green MEP and Lib Dems MEP demand action on human rights in Turkey as Ms Zana is sentenced
Posted by KSSO in Campaigns, News on 05. Aug, 2009 | No Comments
The academics’ trade union UCU “has written to the Foreign Secretary David Miliband outlining our concerns about the imprisonment of Kurdish politician Leyla Zana by the Turkish authorities… On 28 July 2009 she was also given a 15 month sentence for a speech she made at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London on 24 May 2008. UCU is particularly concerned that the latest assault on Leyla’s freedom of expression stems from a speech made at a UK institution.”
Kurdish Society at SOAS and KSSO condemn the sentence against Leyla Zana
Posted by KSSO in Campaigns, News on 01. Jun, 2009 | 2 Comments
The Kurdish Studies and Student Organisation (KSSO), is an umbrella organisation of UK-based Kurdish student societies. We aim to work with UK educational institutions and university communities to support and promote research on, about or by Kurdish peoples. KSSO has no political affiliations and aims to act as a neutral platform of intellectual debate on Kurdish matters.
We have invited many professionals and academics to give talks on varied subjects on the Kurdish language, culture, media and minority rights in the Middle East. We have also organised a number of seminars on the participation of Kurdish women in the cultural, social and political life in their homeland and in Diaspora. One of our guests was Ms Leyla Zana, a prominent Kurdish politician from the Northern Kurdish Region (Turkish Kurdistan) and Prof. Mary Davis of London Metropolitan University to talk about a peaceful, political solution on Turkey’s Kurdish question.
