German intel identifies PKK as major threat to country
Hande Fırat - ANKARA
Germany considers the PKK terrorist organization as one of the most foremost threats to the country due to its extensive illegal activities related to recruitment and extortion, Berlin’s domestic intelligence organization has said.
The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, responsible for domestic intelligence in Germany, released its comprehensive 408-page report for 2023 last week, identifying the PKK as the terror organization with the most members and a major influence among foreign-linked extremists within Germany.
Recognized as a terrorist organization by Türkiye and the U.S., the PKK's activities were also banned in Germany in 1993, and it has been listed as a terrorist entity by the European Union since 2002.
Crimes perpetrated by the PKK were recorded at 286 in 2023, an increase compared to the previous year, the report said.
German authorities identified that the PKK amassed between 16 and 17 million euros in 2023 under the guise of "fundraising campaigns.”
The organization boasted 14,000 members in Germany last year, making it the extremist foreign organization with the largest membership in the country, the intelligence organization noted.
The PKK has continued its efforts to recruit young supporters predominantly from Germany and other European countries for its armed struggle, according to Berlin.
The terror group advertises not only through personal addresses of officials or youth organizations, but also in its own media and affiliated circles, utilizing social media to reach young individuals.
“Since June 2013, over 300 individuals from Germany have joined the PKK's combat units. Of those who departed, at least 41 have died there, while approximately 160 have returned to Germany. This evidences the military training and deployment of recruits from Germany, including German citizens, to foreign conflict zones,” the report said.
The report cautioned that the numerous demonstrations orchestrated by the terror organization across Germany presents a potential for persistent conflict.
The risk of militant actions, such as property damage or arson against Turkish state buildings and private institutions, remains extant, the intelligence organization said.
European structures integrate seamlessly into the PKK framework, executing the objectives delineated by PKK leadership without any discretionary decision-making, it explained.
Within Germany, the PKK is divided into four sectors and nine regions, each managed by an administrative officer, while PKK-affiliated associations also operate under this network.
At the helm of this network is the "Confederation of Kurdistan Communities in Germany," a central organization that mobilizes for terror-related events and rallies in the PKK spirit, participating in public relations and campaign activities, according to the German report.
Türkiye has long cautioned Germany against hosting members of the PKK terrorist organizations. German authorities have dozens of extradition requests from Türkiye pending. Additionally, the National Intelligence Organization (MİT) issued a special warning to Germany about the PKK's Syria offshoot, YPG, attempts to conduct so-called elections in northern Syria.
