ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — A large crowd, mainly supporters of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), marched on Saturday in Dusseldorf, Germany protesting Turkey’s military operations in Kurdistan Region and northeast Syria (Rojava). The demonstration is taking place a day before the 37th anniversary of the start of the group’s armed struggle against the Turkish state.
Defend Kurdistan, the main organizer of the demonstration, said on Saturday that thousands of people have gathered in Dusseldorf “to protest against Turkish fascism and the invasion of South Kurdistan,” referring to the Kurdistan Region.
Crowds marched through the streets, carrying PKK flags and banners paying tribute to Kurds who have died in Turkish military operations, and chanting slogans denouncing “Turkish fascism.” Defend Kurdistan said police had banned slogans calling for the release of PKK’s jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan.
Rudaw English reached out to the police for comment but has yet to receive a reply.
A police spokesperson said they will try to avoid traffic disruption during the protests which began at noon and are expected to continue until late afternoon, Germany’s Rheinische Post reported.
Famous Kurdish singer Saide Inac, better known as Hozan Cane, told Rudaw English that she and two other prominent musicians, Sivan Perver and Diyar Dersim, will sing at the event. She said the gathering is “to protest the Turkish government due to jailing people and invading Kurdistan.”
Cane, a dual citizen of Turkey and Germany, was arrested in Turkey in June 2018, accused of PKK links. She was released in October 2020 and allowed to return to Germany last month where she told Rudaw she had been mistreated in prison.
Most of the slogans in the demonstration call for an end to Turkish military operations in the Kurdistan Region and Rojava and condemn the recent murder of seven members of a Kurdish family in Konya. They also praise the military struggle of the PKK and Kurdish fighters in Rojava.
Founded in 1978, the PKK launched its first military activity against the Turkish state on August 15, 1984. Over 40,000 people have died, civilians and fighters on both sides of the conflict. Ankara carries out regular military operations against the group at home and in the Kurdistan Region. It also targets Kurdish fighters in Rojava on the grounds of alleged links to the PKK.
Several Kurdish politicians, activists and journalists are scheduled to speak at the demonstration.
The PKK is considered a terrorist organization by Turkey and its Western allies. The group’s activities are banned in Germany. A meeting of the European Kurdish Democratic Societies Congress (KCDK-E), a leading Kurdish umbrella group, was reportedly banned by Cologne police last month due to its alleged links to the PKK. The group is taking part in the Dusseldorf demonstration.
All Kurds should “take a national stance and defend Kurdistan against the Turkish state’s invading attacks,” co-chairs of the KCDK-E, Fatos Goksungur and Yuksel Koc, who are expected to speak at the event, said in a statement published by PKK-affiliated ANF on Tuesday.
“Kurds and their democratic friends should join the marches to be held in all European countries, Canada and Australia on 14 August to enhance resistance against the Turkish state’s attacks and to defend Kurdistan and the achievements of the Kurdish people," they added.
