‘Wise Persons’ hold first regional meeting in Malatya

MALATYA – Doğan News Agency

The group stopped at Malatya's İnönü University and talked with academics and students before meeting with several NGOs during the afternoon. AA photo

The first regional meeting of the “Wise Persons’ Commission,” formed by the government to contribute to the ongoing peace process on the Kurdish issue, has been held April 10 in the eastern province of Malatya. 

The group, which is tasked with pursuing works in the eastern Anatolia region, gathered with many nongovernmental organizations and associations. 
 
Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation (TESEV) Board Chairman Can Paker, who is also the head of the panel group, emphasized that a report would be prepared with the input of all those meeting before being submitted to government officials. 

Another member of the group, female activist Zübeyde Teker, who also represents associations for convicts’ relatives, also said their task was listening to what the public had to say about the Kurdish issue. She also said their report would ultimately be made public

Meanwhile, daily Star columnist Sibel Eraslan emphasized the different ethnic, confessional and ideological backgrounds of each member of the commission. 
 
“The mere fact that we came together despite all our differences is touching a [event] about life,” she said.  
 
The seven groups of Wise People were organized so as to represent each of the seven geographical regions of Turkey. Some 63 prominent names in total, including many journalists, academics, activists and artists, were selected to the commission. 
 
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has agreed to regularly meet with the heads of each group. He also extended the work of the commission to two months, from the one month that was initially declared, following the first meeting of all members in Istanbul on April 4.