Award-winning Kurdish psychologist, Jan Ilhan Kizilhan, talking to Rudaw at the award ceremony in Berlin on March 21, 2025. Photo: Screengrab/Rudaw
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A Kurdish psychologist and regular contributor to Rudaw was awarded Germany’s highest government honor at the foreign ministry in Berlin on Friday, recognizing his 25 years of service in psychotherapy, particularly his work in treating the trauma suffered by Yazidis.
The Federal Cross of Merit was presented to Jan Ilhan Kizilhan by German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock.
Receiving the honour is “a motivation for me to continue my work in scientific, humanitarian, and psychological research,” Kizilhan told Rudaw’s Alla Shally at the ceremony.
Kizilhan was part of a German-government led effort to provide psychological care to Yazidis following atrocities committed by the Islamic State (ISIS). He said they were able to bring 1,100 Yazidis to Germany and have provided assistance to an estimated 12,000 people suffering from psychological trauma in the Kurdistan Region.
“Figures like Nadia Murad, who won the Nobel Prize, emerged from this effort,” he said.
The Federal Cross of Merit (Bundesverdienstkreuz in German) is the highest honor awarded by the German government to individuals in recognition of their achievements in political, economic, cultural, intellectual, or humanitarian fields. It is given to both Germans and foreigners who have made significant contributions to society and humanitarian efforts.
After presenting the award, Minister Baerbock told Rudaw, "We need Dr. Ilhan’s work in many crisis-stricken areas of the world to treat psychological trauma so that genocide and crimes do not persist for generations."
She noted that Kizilhan’s work not only empowers survivors but also represents “hope for diplomacy and reconciliation.”
Kizilhan was born in Batman, southeast Turkey and moved to Germany with his parents when he was seven.
Below is the full transcript of the interview:
Rudaw: I was deeply moved while listening to your speech. How do you feel? You said it was a wonderful feeling, but at the same time, you reflected on the difficult world we live in. What was your feeling when you received this award?
Ilhan Kizilhan: Certainly, this was a very special feeling for me because this is the highest award given by the German government to a Kurdish researcher. On the other hand, it serves as a reminder that, as you know well, there are many conflicts and wars in the world. Many people are being killed, many are in desperate situations. This is a reminder and an opportunity for us to create a platform and engage in more work for peace. This award is a motivation for me to continue my work in scientific, humanitarian, and psychological research.
Were you born in Germany?
I was born in a city near Batman in Turkish Kurdistan. I was seven years old when my parents moved to Germany. I completed my studies here, attending university in both Germany and the United States. I traveled the world before returning to Germany and Kurdistan.
After ISIS attacks, as the German foreign minister mentioned, you returned to the Kurdistan Region. What did you do there? Briefly explain how many Yazidi women and girls you brought to Germany for treatment.
After ISIS invaded Kurdistan, Iraq, and Syria, the government of the German state of Baden-Wurttemberg assigned us a mission. They asked us to form a team, travel to Kurdistan and Iraq, assess those who had been captured by ISIS and later rescued, and determine their psychological and medical needs. From 2014 to 2015, we were constantly in Kurdistan. Many people were still in ISIS captivity, displaced, and in dire conditions. However, with the help of the German government, a large team in Kurdistan, and the Kurdistan Regional Government, we managed to bring 1,100 people to Germany. Today, their children are studying in schools and universities, and some have become engineers. For instance, figures like Nadia Murad, who won the Nobel Prize, emerged from this effort. This project has seen great success.
So far, how many people have received psychological treatment from your team?
Currently, there are 1,100 people in Germany. Later, many Kurdish and Yazidi refugees came to our hospital. We have doctors who speak Kurdish, Arabic, German, and English to help them. We also have a team at the University of Duhok, where we established a psychotherapy center. If I’m not mistaken, our 1,800 students have helped around 12,000 to 13,000 people so far.
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