On 27 April, Bremen police raided the Democratic Kurdish Community Center (DKTM). During the raid, which took place while approximately 35 people were present at the center, no written notice was provided. As the search continued, Die Linke (Left Party) MP Muhlis Kocaağa waited for around six hours in front of DKTM and later brought the matter to the state parliament’s agenda.

Kocaağa, who has been engaged in legal democratic activities for about 30–35 years, told ANF: "I’ve witnessed various raids on associations or by the police before. But I’ve never seen a raid like this one. I’ve never seen one last this long. They didn’t even provide a justification."

Kocaağa said that they tried to reach both the Federal Interior Ministry and Bremen’s Interior Ministry and continued: "We tried to get information. They said it wasn’t their jurisdiction and referred us to the Interior Ministry of Lower Saxony, Hanover. Interestingly, when I spoke to friends who were let out, I saw that their phones and personal belongings had been confiscated. It didn’t seem like a political interrogation, but rather a criminal approach. This is unacceptable. We announced this via a press release. We said we would not accept it. In this context, we submitted a parliamentary question to the Interior Ministry asking them to explain why the police raid occurred, what was obtained, and what findings or concrete evidence they had. Depending on their response, we will determine our stance."

Associations are legal and open to everyone

Recalling that, since the PKK is banned in Germany, such criminalizing actions have been taken against Kurds, Kocaağa added: "This isn’t entirely surprising. There is an effort to criminalize Kurds, to isolate them from society, and to prevent them from organizing within their own communities. Kurds are seen as a problem, and from time to time, these types of pressures are applied. Kurdish associations in Germany are established fully in accordance with German law. They are legal entities. These are public associations that are open to people from all political views. Anyone can visit, participate, and actively engage. Occasionally, individual incidents are turned into social issues. This is mainly an effort to criminalize associations and institutions, and to limit their relationship with the state."

A barrier to relations with the State

Kocaağa continued: "In recent times, we have tried to bring the issue of official recognition and acceptance of our institutions by the state onto the agenda. For the first time in Bremen, a Newroz celebration was held in the Bremen Parliament. It was a strong event with participation from all political parties, their spokespersons, and parliamentary groups. In the upcoming period, we will also commemorate Sırrı Süreyya Önder and organize a meeting that highlights peace efforts in Turkey through his legacy. With these efforts to introduce Kurdish institutions to the state, we aim to show that Kurds are a part of this society and that we want to exercise our democratic rights."