The Centre for Turkey Studies (CEFTUS) is pleased to invite you to a rountable with Mr Mehmet Emin Ekmen, Former Justice and Development Party (AKP) MP.
Please see speaker biography below.
The event will take place between 10.30am-12.00pm on Monday 10 October 2016 at the Stage in Impact Hub Westminster (1st floor, New Zealand House, 80 Haymarket, London, SW1Y 4TE).
Following the failed coup attempt on 15 July, Turkey’s state of emergency which was declared by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan almost three months ago has now been extended for another three months. The Turkish Government claims that the security threat remains at a high level to destabilise Turkey as the supporters of the Turkish cleric Fettullah Gulen have infiltrated major organs of the state, including the military, judiciary, police and other elements of the civil bureaucracy. In this time of state level crisis, Turkey faces political, economical and social instabilities whilst being under democratic pressures. The purge of the Gulenists appears to affect the Kurdish political movement as 11,500 Kurdish teachers have recently been dismissed due to alleged links with the Kurdish armed group, Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) as well as many pro-Kurdish media outlets have been closed.
Mr Mehmet Emin Ekmen, former AKP Member of Parliament, will evaluate the current developments in Turkey following 15 July coup attempt and share his analysis of the future of Turkish politics.
Please email info@ceftus.org to register.
We look forward to welcoming you to this event.
Speaker Biography
Mr Mehmet Emin Ekmen is a former Justice and Development Party (AKP) MP for Batman. He is currently founding member of Mesopotamia University which aims to provide fully Kurdish education. He was a member and secretary of the Wise People Commission for the Southeast Region on the Kurdish Peace Process. He studied law at Dicle University and he holds an MA in Public Law in Social Sciences Institute of the same university. He is currently a PhD candidate in Public Law at Istanbul University. Ekmen was a member of Batman Bar Board, and Chair of Human Rights Commission and Women and Children Rights Commission when he used to work as a lawyer. He was a Representative of TEMA Trust, Director of Batman Volunteers for Environment Association, Chair of Gunisigi Association Board, Batman Representative of Sports Federation for Everyone and lastly, a founding member of Batman Mazlum-Der Association. He has published reports and articles on issues such as democratisation, human rights, the Kurdish issue, terrorism and the FETO terrorist organisation. He is a legislative consultant for the Union of Turkish Public Notaries and a member of arbitration board of the Turkish Football Federation.