Deakin University’s lecturer in International Relations, Dr Costas Laoutides will present a seminar on the Kurdish question in Turkey.
The resumption of armed violence between Turkey and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) after the collapse of the ceasefire in 2015, has put the Kurdish question into a dark period of uncertainty.
With the polarisation of the domestic political discourse increasing, political dissent on any contentious issues, including the Kurdish question, is therefore being dealt by Ankara in a heavy-handed fashion.
These developments in combination with the recent failed coup against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Turkey’s involvement in the Syrian civil war, create an explosive mix of instability in Turkey and the region.
Expected to be an insightful presentation, Dr Laoutides will analyse the domestic and regional challenges in relation to the Kurdish question in Turkey and its neighbouring region, while also considering some possible scenarios that might evolve from the current situation.
Author of Self-Determination and Collective Responsibility in the Secessionist Struggle, Dr Laoutides holds a PhD in International Politics from the University of Wales, and a Masters in International Conflict Analysis from the University of Kent.
He was granted the EH Carr Scholarship for doctoral studies at Aberystwyth and an Economic and Social Research Council Scholarship for advanced postgraduate studies at Kent.
The open seminar will take place on Thursday 28 July at the Greek Centre, 168 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne, VIC at 7pm. Attendance is free.