First Session: CEMMIS Conference on The Kurdish Issue and the Developments in the Middle East

The Centre for Mediterranean, Middle East and Islamic Studies (CEMMIS) of the Department of Political Science and International Relations of the University of the Peloponnese organised a conference on: "The Kurdish Issue and the Developments in the Middle East" The conference took place in Greek and English on Saturday May 24, 2025, 9.30-8.15 p.m. at the Institute of International Relations (Hill 3-5, Plaka, Athens). Το Κέντρο Μεσογειακών, Μεσανατολικών και Ισλαμικών Σπουδών (ΚΕΜΜΙΣ) του Τμήματος Πολιτικής Επιστήμης και Διεθνών Σχέσεων του Πανεπιστημίου Πελοποννήσου οργάνωσε την εκδήλωση με θέμα: «Το Κουρδικό Ζήτημα και οι Εξελίξεις στη Μέση Ανατολή» Η εκδήλωση πραγματοποιήθηκε στα ελληνικά και τα αγγλικά (παράλληλη διερμηνεία) το Σάββατο 24 Μαΐου 2025, 9.30-8.15 μ.μ. στην αίθουσα εκδηλώσεων του Ινστιτούτου Διεθνών Σχέσεων (Χίλλ 3-5, Πλάκα, Αθήνα). CONFERENCE AGENDA OPENING STATEMENT Gharib Hassou, Co-President of PYD FIRST SESSION: The current situation in Syrian Kurdistan and the developments in Syria Zakia Aqra, CEMMIS Editor-in-Chief (moderator) Katia Zagoritou, PhD Candidate University of the Peloponnese, CEMMIS Researcher Antonis Deriziotis, Assistant Professor National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Sotiris Roussos, Professor University of the Peloponnese, CEMMIS Scientific Supervisor KEYNOTE SPEAKER Nikos Kotzias, Former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greece SECOND SESSION: The democratic self-government of Rojava, the influence of Abdullah Ocalan and its regional impact Ioannis Albanis, Journalist (moderator) Thomas Schmidinger, Associate Professor University of Kurdistan Hewlêr Stavros Lygeros, Journalist Petros Papakonstantinou, Journalist KEYNOTE SPEAKER Ilham Ahmed, Co-chair of the Foreign Relations Department in the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES) THIRD SESSION: Regional powers and the Kurdish issue Sotiris Roussos, Professor University of the Peloponnese, CEMMIS Scientific Supervisor (moderator) Amy Austin Holmes, Professor George Washington University Kamal Chomani, PhD Candidate, Leipzig University, Germany Stavros Drakoularakos, Adjunct Lecturer University of Nicosia, CEMMIS Editor-in-Chief Constantinos Filis, Director of the ACG Institute of Global Affairs, Associate Professor American College of Greece KEYNOTE SPEAKER Sema Bakdash, Head of the Diplomatic Bureau of PYD