The Confederation of Workers from Turkey in Europe (ATİK) issued a written statement condemning the arrest of Kurdish politician Yüksel Koç after a police raid on his home in Bremen, Germany.

The statement reads as follows:

"Yüksel Koç, who has long been actively involved in the struggle for the democratic rights of Kurds living in Europe and who served as co-chair of the KCDK-E between 2016 and 2023, was detained in the early morning of May 20 after a raid on his home. After the raid, his home was searched for four hours, and he was then taken to court in Karlsruhe and arrested. The detention of Yüksel Koç is part of the German state's hostile stance towards the democratic struggle of the Kurdish people.

Kurdish organizations in Germany cannot be criminalized

Kurdish democratic organizing in Germany has faced constant bans since 1993. Associations have been repeatedly raided, federations banned, publishing houses stormed with hundreds of books confiscated, and cultural institutions shut down with hundreds of musical works seized. Thousands of demonstrations and marches have been banned, and disproportionate force was used by police against participants, resulting in numerous arrests. Along with these bans, dozens of Kurdish politicians have been arrested each year and sentenced to long prison terms. Many Kurdish politicians are still being held in various prisons. These pressures have been carried out based on mutual information sharing with the Turkish state. It has been proven in numerous court cases that documents used in indictments were collected unlawfully by Turkish intelligence operatives in Germany with the cooperation of German intelligence services.

Yüksel Koç has been repeatedly targeted

Yüksel Koç has long been a Kurdish politician targeted by the Turkish state. In past years, a team was allegedly sent by Turkish intelligence (MIT) to assassinate him, which was only uncovered at the last moment. He has frequently been publicly exposed and targeted through media outlets. The German state had also long been pursuing an investigation against him, which had been public knowledge. Yüksel Koç has made significant contributions to the Kurdish organizing struggle in Germany. He served for many years in the leadership of Kurdish federations in Germany and later as co-chair of KCDK-E, the European-wide Kurdish umbrella organization.

His lawyer announced that on April 4, 2025, a detention and arrest warrant was issued against him under paragraph 129b of the German criminal code, alleging he was a PKK member. Although the Kurds’ right to engage in politics, speak their language, live their culture, and fight for democratic rights has long been restricted, these bans have not stopped their organizing. The arrest of Yüksel Koç will also not hinder the progress of this struggle. As ATİK, we strongly condemn the arrest of Yüksel Koç, who has made significant contributions to our long-standing united struggle, and we call on all local and migrant democratic forces to take a stand and show solidarity against this arrest."