Editing Kurdistan Workers' Party (section)

== Status in Germany ==
{{multiple image
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 | image1 = DSC00241 PKK Logo noch nicht überklebt Demo 2016 FFM ed01.jpg
 | alt1 = Before: PKK logo visible
 | image2 = PKK Logo abgeklebt Demo Frankfurt 2016.jpg
 | alt2 = After: PKK logo pasted over
 | footer = Because the PKK is a designated terrorist organisation in [[Germany]], its symbols cannot be publicly displayed in the country. At a political demonstration in [[Frankfurt]] in April 2016, police ordered protesters to cover up the PKK flag.
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The PKK could count with a strong support from the [[Kurds in Germany|diaspora in Germany]] where the Hunerkom, its cultural branch was based.<ref name=":18" /> During the 1990s, the PKK was able to organize blockades of highways and its sympathizers [[Self-immolation|self-immolated]] for which the PKK official [[Cemîl Bayik|Cemil Bayik]] apologized in 2015<ref>{{Cite news|title=Drastischer Protest: PKK bittet Deutschland um Verzeihung|language=de|work=FAZ.NET|url=https://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/inland/pkk-entschuldigt-sich-fuer-drastische-protestaktionen-in-deutschland-13530566.html|access-date=26 January 2022|issn=0174-4909}}</ref> after sympathizers of the PKK launched several waves of attacks against Turkish institutions in Germany.<ref>{{Cite web |date=26 November 1993 |title=Verbot der "Arbeiterpartei Kurdistans" in Deutschland |url=https://www.bundesregierung.de/breg-de/service/bulletin/verbot-der-arbeiterpartei-kurdistans-in-deutschland-790068}}</ref> The PKK's activities were banned by the Minister of the Interior [[Manfred Kanther]] in November 1993.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Jakob |first=Christian |date=2 September 2014 |title=Debatte PKK-Verbot in Deutschland: Aus einer anderen Zeit |language=de |work=Die Tageszeitung: taz |url=https://taz.de/!5034136/ |access-date=15 August 2022 |issn=0931-9085}}</ref> In a meeting between German MP [[Heinrich Lummer]] of the [[Christian Democratic Union of Germany]] (CDU)  and Abdullah Öcalan in [[Damascus]] in 1996, Öcalan assured Lummer that it was the PKKs aim to find a peaceful solution for their activities in Germany.<ref name=":22">{{Cite news|last=Dalan|first=Marco|date=10 April 1996|title="PKK wird Deutschland verschonen"|work=[[Die Welt]]|url=https://www.welt.de/print-welt/article647190/PKK-wird-Deutschland-verschonen.html|access-date=8 October 2020}}</ref> The PKK also demanded that it should be recognized as a legitimate entity and not as a terrorist organization in Germany,<ref name=":02">{{Cite web |date=29 June 2004 |title=29. Juni 2004 – Vor 5 Jahren: Abdullah Öcalan wird zum Tod verurteilt |url=https://www1.wdr.de/stichtag/stichtag300.html |access-date=8 October 2020 |website=www1.wdr.de |language=de}}</ref> a demand to which Germany did not accede to. In Germany several Kurdish entities such as the [[Association of Students from Kurdistan]] (YXK),<ref>{{cite report |url=https://www.verfassungsschutz.de/download/broschuere-2015-07-arbeiterpartei-kurdistans-pkk.pdf |title=Arbeiterpartei Kurdistans (PKK) |date=July 2015 |publisher=[[Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz]] |page=21 |language=de}}</ref> the Mesopotamia publishing house or the Mir Multimedia music label were deemed to be close to the PKK.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Germany bans Kurdish PKK publishing houses |url=https://www.dw.com/en/germany-bans-kurdish-pkk-publishing-houses/a-47473308 |access-date=23 June 2022 |website=DW.COM |language=en-GB}}</ref> The latter two were eventually closed down by Interior Minister [[Horst Seehofer]] who accused them of acting as a forefront of the PKK<ref name=":0" /> and to support the PKKs activities in Europe with its revenue.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bundesinnenminister Horst Seehofer verbietet PKK-Verlag |url=https://www.bmi.bund.de/SharedDocs/pressemitteilungen/DE/2019/02/verbot-pkk-verlag.html;jsessionid=C479646825AA1570D5237CE707AAB05C.2_cid295?nn=9390260 |access-date=23 June 2022 |website=Bundesministerium des Innern und für Heimat |language=de}}</ref> The Kurdish satellite channel [[Roj TV]] was also accused of being a branch of the PKK by Interior Minister [[Wolfgang Schäuble]] and had to end its activities in Germany in 2008.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ataman |first=Ferda |date=11 July 2008 |title=Roj TV und PKK: Der Kurdensender, der Schäubles Zorn erregte |language=de |work=[[Der Spiegel]] |url=https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/roj-tv-und-pkk-der-kurdensender-der-schaeubles-zorn-erregte-a-565129.html |access-date=23 June 2022 |issn=2195-1349}}</ref> The PKK has received political support for a lift of its prohibition by the [[The Left (Germany)|Die Linke]] and its party leader [[Bernd Riexinger]] in 2016.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Werthschulte |first=Christian |date=5 September 2016 |title=Ein Volksfest für Öcalan |language=de |page=7 |work=Die Tageszeitung: taz |url=https://taz.de/!5333261/ |access-date=15 August 2022 |issn=0931-9085}}</ref>