Greens/EFA conference on Turkish accession to the EU: Accreditation now open for Istanbul conference

Online accreditation is now open for the Greens/EFA conference 'Turkey in the EU: a common future?' which takes place in the Hilton Hotel, Istanbul, 19-22 October 2004. Members of the media can register for the conference online at:

greens-efa.org/pdf/agenda/PressIstanbul

For security reasons press passes allowing access to the conference venue and press facilities will be distributed to accredited members of the media. Press cards and identity cards or passports will be needed for verification. Accreditation for the event will close on Wednesday 13 October.

Once you have registered for accreditation you will receive further details about when and where you can collect your press pass. If you plan to attend the conference and have any special technical or logistical requests please contact the Greens/EFA Press Office as soon as possible.

REMINDER: The Greens/EFA Group in the European Parliament will hold a conference on the question of Turkey's accession to the European Union in Istanbul in October. The conference, which will include debates with prominent Turkish and European personalities, takes place before EU leaders make a final decision on the opening of accession negotiations with Turkey on 17 December. The venue is the conference centre of the Hilton Hotel, Istanbul.

Prominent speakers attending the conference, will include:

• Joschka Fischer, German Foreign Minister • Abdullah Gül, Turkish Foreign Minister • Hilmi Güller, Turkish Energy Minister • Mehmet Aydin, Secretary of State, Turkey • Orhan Pamuk, Writer - Istanbul • Leyla Zana, Sakharov Prize winner • Daniel Cohn-Bendit and Monica Frassoni, Co-Presidents of the Green/EFA Group in the European Parliament, • Hélène Flautre, Chair of the Parliamentary sub-committee on Human Rights • Joost Lagendijk, Co-Chair of the EU-Turkey Joint Parliament committee, • Cem Özdemir, MEP

There will be six round tables debates during the three-day conference on the following topics:

1. Europe's values and frontiers

2. Civil liberties

3. Women's rights

4. Decision on the accession negotiations with Turkey and the Commission's report

5. Environment and agriculture in Turkey and an enlarged EU

6. Environment & Environmental movements in Turkey: Ways to connect

For more information see: www.greens-efa.org/en/issues/?id=34

Source: www.greens-efa.org/cms/pressreleases/dok/101/101012.greensefa_conference_on_turkish_accessio@en.htm