84 Kurdish, German and Turkish organisations are holding a protest march today in Cologne against the ban on the PKK.

YXK executive Sema Kocatepe has issued a statement calling on all Kurds to attend the demonstration.

The march comes a few days before the interior ministers of the 16 German states meet in Cologne on 11 and 12 December to discuss, inter alia, the ban on the PKK. The 84 organisations responded to a call by the Kurdistan Students’ Union (YXK) and the Interventionistische Linke (IL) organisation to set up the “Bündiss Gegen İMK“ platform to protest the ban on the PKK and other anti-democratic measures in Germany. The march will start at Freisen Platz at 1 pm, with people expected to come from Berlin, Bremen, Hamburg, Münih and Frankfurt to join the protest.

Appeal to join the march

YXK representative Sema Kocatepe said the ban on the PKK in Germany had become meaningless, adding that it was time it was lifted.  Kocatepe said: “The PKK ban has taken away one of the most basic rights of Kurds living in Europe. They have suffered many injustices. She called on Kurds and democrats in NRW state to join the march, saying: “The solidarity demonstrated with Kobanê on 1 November should be shown at the march against the ban on the PKK.”