Deportation of Mehmet Çakas: Red Aid sounds the alarm for Kurdish rights!

Deportation of Mehmet Çakas: Red Aid sounds the alarm for Kurdish rights!

In a worrying appeal, the Red help to the public and calls for the immediate suspension of the threatened deportation of the Kurdish activist Mehmet Çakas to Turkey. This measure, according to the organization, could set a dangerous precedent and represents a threat to the fundamental rights of politically active Kurds in Germany. According to Anja Sommerfeld, a spokeswoman for Red Aid, the impending deportation is an alarming signal that German authorities are ready to hand people over to a regime that brutally persecutes opposition figures.

Mehmet Çakas, who was sentenced to prison by the Celle Higher Regional Court in April 2024 for membership in the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), faces an uncertain future. He was accused of working as a regional official in Bremen between 2019 and 2021, without any specific crimes being proven. Although his regular release from prison is scheduled for October 2024, he could be deported at any time, which Red Aid considers unacceptable.

Call for protection from torture

Given the ongoing human rights violations in Turkey, Rote Hilfe is not alone in its concerns. As various reports show, the situation for Kurdish prisoners in Turkey has deteriorated significantly in recent years. According to a report by the Turkish Human Rights Foundation TIHV Since 2014, over 7,500 people or their relatives have filed claims of torture, with the majority of claims having been received in the last six years. What is particularly alarming is that victims of torture are often political prisoners who are imprisoned because of their circumstances. The proportion of Kurdish ethnic identity among those affected is disproportionately high.

A particularly tough case shows the situation clearly: a Kurd who was proven to have been tortured in Turkey is also faced with an impending deportation notice. The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) recognizes the torture, but at the same time questions whether it was based on political beliefs. Critics, such as lawyer Roland Meister, accuse the BAMF of inappropriately relativizing torture.

Political debate and upcoming court hearings

Rote Hilfe sees the possible deportation of Çakas and other Kurdish activists as a massive interference with their political engagement in Germany. In their opinion, this measure could once again encourage repressive measures against politically active Kurds. In addition to suspending the deportation, Rote Hilfe is also calling for the recognition of Çakas' asylum claim, which was rejected by the BAMF. There is an ongoing hearing appeal, the hearing of which is scheduled for September 8, 2024.

In a climate of increasing repression in Turkey, where authoritarianism and disregard for human rights standards are the order of the day, the question of how Germany deals with such cases is becoming increasingly pressing. Stricter measures by the government under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan are contributing to the continuation of torture and ill-treatment, which is also reflected in the inadequate rule of law in Turkey.

The coming debate about the deportation of Mehmet Çakas could not only determine his fate, but also have far-reaching effects on the Kurdish community in Germany. Will the relevant authorities recognize that they are entering dangerous territory with this decision, or will the call for more human rights-friendly policies continue to be ignored? The development remains really exciting to watch.