PKK leadership sentenced in Hamburg: suspended sentences for terrorists!

PKK leadership sentenced in Hamburg: suspended sentences for terrorists!

In a recent ruling, the Hamburg Higher Regional Court sentenced two men who served as regional leaders of the PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party) to suspended sentences. The two defendants, aged 63 and 64, were found guilty because of their membership in a terrorist organization abroad. The sentences range from one and a half to two years, which is a heavy burden for those convicted, although they do not have to go straight to prison. This decision was announced on the Deutschlandfunk news on December 23, 2025 and highlights the PKK's activities in Germany.

Between 2020 and 2025, the men used their power to organize fundraising and propaganda events in Schleswig-Holstein and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Such activities are in the context of the four-decade-long conflict between the PKK and the Turkish state, which began its armed struggle for the rights of the Kurds in 1984. I am amused that the PKK only announced its dissolution in May 2025, while at the same time it is faced with desperate attempts to retain its following.

The PKK in focus

The PKK is classified as a terrorist organization by Turkey and Western friends, including Germany, making it the largest organization of its kind in Germany. According to the Hamburg State Office for the Protection of the Constitution, the PKK has around 14,500 supporters in this country. Despite its self-dissolution, the Federal Ministry of the Interior maintains its classification as a terrorist organization. “Bilateral relations require a clear stance,” explains a high-ranking spokesman for the ministry.

Abdullah Öcalan, the founder of the PKK and imprisoned since 1999, supports his authoritarian power as leader of the “Community of Kurdistan Societies” (KCK), which was founded in 2007. Despite his imprisonment on the Turkish prison island of Imralı, Öcalan continues to wield influence and recently called on his followers to lay down their arms. This request has made headlines both within the PKK and in Turkish politics, while questions are raised about the future development of the Kurdish conflict.

Long-term conflict and its consequences

The conflict between the PKK and the Turkish state has cost more than 40,000 lives to date. An end to this dispute seems distant, especially after the failed peace talks in 2015. Current developments suggest that the political and social landscape in both Turkey and Germany will continue to be shaped by this issue: the PKK remains a hot potato.

The verdict against the two PKK officials makes it clear that the German judiciary continues to keep a critical eye on the group's activities. The events of recent years demonstrate the ongoing challenge of combating terrorism and dealing with political extremists. It therefore remains to be seen how the situation will develop and what further legal steps may follow.

In summary, it can be said that the PKK continues to be a central issue in German and international politics. Both the persecution of members and the ongoing debates about the classification as a terrorist organization will shape the discussion.