Istanbul is preparing to host an important gathering aimed at amplifying the voice of Middle Eastern peoples wounded by decades of war, occupation, and injustice. The Social Justice Association (SAHİ) will organize this major event, titled “The Middle East Conference”, on December 6–7, 2025, with the participation of academics, journalists, politicians, and civil society representatives from various countries.
For decades, our region has lived under the shadow of wars, internal conflicts, poverty, occupations, oppressive regimes, and human rights violations. People’s hopes for peace, security, justice, and prosperity are steadily fading. International treaties, human rights conventions, the United Nations, and similar institutions have, sadly, lost much of their meaning for the peoples of the Middle East.
Even more tragic is the absence of a strong, collective voice against this devastation, and the failure to establish an effective struggle for peace. Yet life goes on; as societies, we cannot remain silent. We must find new words, open new paths. And we know that there are still things to say and actions to take.
As the Social Justice Association, based in Istanbul, we strive for justice in all areas of social life. Yet in these times, our most fundamental concern is the search for peace in our region. For this reason, we are organizing a “Middle East Peace Symposium” in Istanbul, bringing together civil society representatives, academics, journalists, and politicians from the Middle East, Turkey, and Europe who sincerely feel the demand for peace and justice, regardless of their different identities and perspectives.
Our aim is to discuss the current situation in the region and explore ways to put an end to this course of destruction, to speak new words for a safer, fairer, more prosperous, and freer Middle East and world.
The symposium will first focus on four sessions addressing the Palestinian question, developments in Syria, and the search for solutions to the Kurdish issue in Turkey. In a fifth session, the establishment of a lasting civil society platform/network composed of organizations and individuals committed to peace and justice will be discussed, and concrete steps will be taken in this regard.
Our association has no ties to any political or commercial institution. The symposium is financed solely through individual donations. In this respect, it is a completely independent initiative, grounded in conscience.
It would be our great honor to welcome you among us, to strengthen our hopes for peace and justice.
With the hope of meeting at the symposium,
Symposium Secretary | Symposium Chair
İslam Özkan Zeki Kılıçaslan
islamozkan@gmail.com zekikilicaslan@gmail.com
Tlf; +90 533 654 88 22
