Germany’s spy chief on Tuesday said the PKK terrorist group recruited followers in the country last year but that its revenues have started to fall recently.
Speaking at a news conference in Berlin, Thomas Haldenwang said the PKK has been monitored by the domestic intelligence agency, the BfV, for many years.
"There has been a slight increase in the number of people supporting the PKK. We now estimate this to be 15,000, compared to 14,500 in the previous year," he told reporters, presenting the agency's annual security report.
Haldenwang admitted that the terrorist group has been using Germany as a retreat – a place to refinance and recruit – while trying to portray itself as a "moderate" group to gain more acceptance in the country.
Saying the terrorist group has so far refrained from committing serious crimes in Germany, he explained that it had focused more on propaganda, recruitment and fund-raising activities.
"Annual campaigns actually bring in millions in money for the PKK, although this year saw a significant decline," he said, adding that financial investigations carried out by German authorities probably contributed to this result.
The terrorist group raised at least 16 million euros ($17 million) in Germany last year in various fundraising campaigns, according to German estimates.
The PKK is classified as an "ethno-nationalist" and "separatist" terrorist organization by the EU's law enforcement agency EUROPOL and has been banned in Germany since 1993.
However, it remains active in the country with nearly 15,000 followers among the Kurdish immigrant population, according to the BfV.
According to the annual report, the PKK has the largest number of followers among foreign terrorist groups that are active in Germany.
Last year, PKK members committed 286 crimes, including violent attacks, resulting in both personal injury and property damage, it said.
The PKK has recruited more than 300 foreign fighters from Germany since 2013, and they were given military training in Syria and Iraq, the report said.
At least 41 of these foreign fighters died in battle zones, while nearly 160 returned to Germany in recent years, the report said, without giving any further details.
BfV analysts said the PKK has a strict hierarchical structure, and its units in Europe follow the instructions sent by the terrorist group's leadership, without any room for independent decision-making.
"In Europe, the PKK is trying to present a largely non-violent image, whereas in Türkiye it continues to carry out terrorist attacks," the analysts said.
According to the report, the PKK is carrying out its activities in Germany by using various associations as cover groups, which are gathered under an umbrella organization called KON-MED.
The group's sympathizers attacked the Turkish Consulate building in Hannover in March after holding pro-PKK demonstrations in the city without any intervention from the police. No one was killed or injured, but there was damage to the building, which German security is obligated to protect as an official representation of Türkiye in the country.
Similarly, the same week, the group attacked Turkish nationals and scuffled with the police during riots in two Belgian cities. Ankara has since urged action from European countries.
The German government considers numerous acts as political, including intent to hinder democracy and crimes aimed at members of certain ethnic, religious or other groups.
Ankara has long called on its NATO ally Germany to take more serious and effective measures against the PKK to prevent future terrorist attacks.
The PKK has been infiltrating European countries by exploiting the legal gaps and vague policies to recruit militants and finance its activities.
Recently, eight PKK terrorists were detained in a simultaneous operation by the French and Belgian police. The suspects were accused of preparing or financing terrorist acts and extorting money to finance a terrorist organization.
The PKK terrorists see Europe as a strategic front against Türkiye and utilize it as a logistical, financial and recruitment base, as European countries remain silent and even support them, even though the PKK is classified as a terrorist group by the bloc.
The tolerance of European countries of PKK’s activities allowed them to take daring steps and raise their voices. Belgium is the so-called headquarters of the PKK in Europe but it also carries out propaganda activities in France, Austria, Switzerland and the Netherlands.
