A major rally against the 30-year ban on the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in Germany is planned for 18 November in Berlin. The demonstration will take place as part of a month of action with many different event formats, which the campaign against the ban has been promoting for some time.

“As in every year, the Kurds, internationalists and democratic institutions and associations in Europe will gather to protest the German state’s ban on the PKK,” said the Kurdish Women’s Movement in Germany (YJK-E) in a statement calling for broad participation in the rally.

YJK-E stated that: “30 years ago, at a time marked by unsolved murders, torture and depopulation in rural areas, which drove people into migration, Germany introduced the ban on the PKK, proving how democracy, free thought and human rights are trampled on when it comes to the Kurdish people. During the 50 years of our struggle for existence, policies of colonisation, assimilation, annihilation and war have been put into practice against our rights at all times.”

The statement continued: “This decision by the German state does not only connive at the Turkish state’s anti-democratic practices and war crimes that should actually be brought to international courts, but is also used as a sword against democracy. On the basis of this ban, the Kurds, who were forced to leave their country, are imposed various penalties because of their political activities, and they are exposed to multiple wrongful practices, ranging from raids on their flats and workplaces, to torture, arrest and being forced to spy. There is an attempt to overshadow the struggle of the Kurdish people and undermine their intention for a free life under the cloud of suspicion. The main reason why this ban is practiced this intensely in Germany is the Kurds’ resistance and struggle for their rights.”

YJK-E pointed out that the mindset of the German state, which criminalizes the Kurdish people’s righteous demands by means of special perception operations, fake news disseminated on social media and arbitrary actions, has now been exposed and these policies cannot be maintained politically anymore.

“Germany must finally see the fact that it must develop peaceful solution-oriented policies towards the Kurds. The Berlin march on 18 November will represent the Kurdish people’s search for democratic rights against this repressive mindset. At the same time, in consideration of fascist Erdoğan’s visit to Germany, we make it clear that we will not recognize any decision to be made against us behind closed doors, and we will use our democratic rights against any tendency that might serve as an element of oppression against us,” the statement underlined.

YJK-E concluded: “We call on the Kurdish people and our friends to raise their voices in Berlin on 18 November against this repressive mindset that criminalizes us, the Kurds and has been in place for 30 years. On the basis of an honorable stand, we highlight the necessity to rely on a political and peaceful solution in the scope of the campaign ‘Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan and a Political Solution to the Kurdish Question’ and the motto ‘With Jin, Jiyan, Azadi, we march to women’s revolution’.”