VISA Hotline Project: Zeynep Ozler, Melih Ozsoz and Tony Venables

To accompany Didem Özbek & Osman Bozkurt’s exhibition Life in the UK / Balance of Probabilities at Castlefield Gallery for Asia Triennial Manchester, Zeynep Ozler and Melih Ozsoz from the Economic Development Foundation (IKV) in Turkey will share their research on the VISA Hotline Project alongside Tony Venables from the European Citizen Action Service (ECAS), Brussels.

Raising awareness of the VISA issue as a major barrier to the fundamental right of free movement of Turkish citizens, the speakers will highlight the ‘human’ experience within this pertinently political issue.

Venables will discuss the UK’s immigration policy and question whether it has swung its doors open too far.  He will then go into the research that ECAS has sent to the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Commons and will outline the case for abolishing VISA requirements for Turkish citizens.

Founded in 1965, the Economic Development Foundation (IKV) is a non-profit making NGO supported by the Turkish private sector. It is specialised in the field of European Union and EU-Turkey relations. Activities of IKV include; research and analysis, publication of research reports; organisation of seminars; carrying out of various projects and execution of communications, promotion and lobbying campaigns in order to enhance EU-Turkey relations with a view to membership. Its library, apart from being the oldest EU library in Turkey, is also the only depository library of the EU in Turkey. IKV is also responsible for coordinating the Turkey Platform, a gathering of more than 250 NGOs representing almost all segments of society to convey the determination of the Turkish people to integrate with the EU.

European Citizen Action Service (ECAS) was created in 1991 as an international non-profit organization, independent of political parties, commercial interests and the EU Institutions. The mission of ECAS is to enable NGOs and individuals to make their voice heard with the EU by providing advice on how to lobby, fundraise, and defend European citizenship rights.

To book a place at this free event email events@castlefieldgallery.co.uk or register at Eventbrite.com