Extreme leftist parties in solidarity with PKK in Germany, report reveals
by Daily Sabah
ISTANBULJul 03, 2015 - 12:00 am GMT+3
by Daily Sabah
Jul 03, 2015 12:00 am
According to 2014's "Protection of the Constitution" report released by German Minister of the Interior Thomas de Maiziere, the extreme leftist political parties of Germany are in cooperation with the outlawed PKK, which is recognized as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S and EU.
The report says that the PKK has been mustering support from ultra-leftist political parties through the fighting it carries out against the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) in Syria and Iraq. The report says the number of PKK members in Germany reached 14,000 with an increase of 1,000 members compared to last year.
"The PKK is trying to leave behind its terrorist image, exploiting the sympathy it has received through the clashes in Syria and Iraq," the report explains.
It has also been recently reported that the organizations affiliated with the PKK in Europe are collecting financial assistance for the PKK's Syrian offshoot, the Democratic Union Party (PYD) under the name of fighting terrorism.
The PYD's Peoples Protection Units (YPG) emerged as the most significant partner in the U.S.-led coalition on the ground, which is trying to roll back ISIS advances in Syria, having repelled an ISIS attack in Kobani. However, Turkey's stance against the PYD is similar to the PKK, so it has refrained from giving support to the Kurds fighting in Syria against ISIS, although Turkey is an important ally. Ankara fears backing provided to the YPG in the name of contributing to the fight against ISIS might create another terrorist organization in the region. However, the West has been giving the cold shoulder to the concerns of Ankara and continues supporting the PKK's extension. According to Vahdet daily, occasions are held by organizations close to the PKK where funds are being collected to be sent to the PYD.
The Democratic Kurdistan Society Center has been calling on nongovernmental organizations in Bordeaux, France to help the PYD. "The PKK guerillas are fighting against ISIS in Syria and Iraq. If it weren't for the PYD, they would come to Europe to hold protests. You should provide financial assistance to the PKK," the organization warned in a bid to collect funds for the PYD. It is claimed that a large amount of funds have been provided by the French in Bordeaux.
Another allegation is that the Kurdistan Students Association (YXK) established by students from Goethe University, has collected money for the PYD during their summer meeting in Frankfurt.
A businessman who lives in Germany as a Turkish expat, F.Y., said: "Besides financial support, leftist German groups have been sending youngsters, what they call freedom fighters, to fight in the PYD ranks in Syria." He also said there has been much speculation circulating that many youngsters from Germany and Austria are heading to Syria to join PYD forces. He also claimed there have been a large amount of funds collected from Kurdish businessmen with the promise of an independent Kurdistan.
The conflict between the Turkish government and the PKK has been ongoing since 1984 and has resulted in some 40,000 to 100,000 casualties as well as major economic losses for Turkey. The PKK, which aimed to establish an independent Kurdish state in southeast Turkey, has also suffered heavy losses during the clashes.
The government in 2013 launched a reconciliation process to end the decades-long conflict between the state and the PKK but it has not reached a conclusion due to resistance by the PKK to lay down arms, even after a call by its imprisoned leader, Abdullah Öcalan, his annual Nevruz message to hold a congress to drop arms in. PKK figures have recently stipulated the release of Öcalan to abandon arms, pushing the process toward a deadlock. The mediator of the process, the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), associated with PKK, has garnered support from not only Kurds, but also liberals and democrats during the elections and made its way into Parliament. HDP voters are expectant about the pursuit of the process, which is currently on ice due to frictions between the government and the HDP. But the HDP thus far has not taken steps to alleviate the concerns of the voters over the stalled process.
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