ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A member of Germany’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) expressed strong support for Kurds after his party faced backlash for trying to pass an anti-immigration bill with support from the far-right.
“I as a person and we in the Christian Democratic Union are very happy that the Kurds are in our country. The Kurdistan Region is a real friend and we have many people in and around our party and we are happy about that,” Peter Meyer, a CDU member of the German parliament, told Rudaw’s Alla Shally on Wednesday.
“We want all people, especially our dear friends from Kurdistan, to live together again in security in Germany and to have a stable job. We are fighting for this,” he added.
The center-right CDU has faced backlash after cooperating with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) on an anti-immigration bill they tried to pass late last month.
“We have not asked for votes for the Alternative for Germany… We wanted to win a majority with the support of the democratic center of parliament. The Social Democrats and the Greens were not ready for this. Unfortunately, time was wasted,” Meyer said about the allegations.
“Please don't be misled by misinformation from political competitors, from - let me say this - many public television channels,” Meyer said.
German parliamentary elections are scheduled to take place on February 23. The CDU is leading in the polls with their ally the Christian Social Union (CSU).
The AfD is a far-right party that opposes German integration and migration. It also publicly condones mass deportations.
There is a large Kurdish population in Germany.
