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Masked men hold up pictures of imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan on March 19, 2006
Image: Serkan Senturk/ZUMAPRESS.com/picture alliance

Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK)

The PKK was a militant Kurdish organization, designated as a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States and the European Union. It launched its armed struggle in the 1980s but disbanded in 2025.

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All Content on this topic

Demonstrators in Bonn protest against Turkey's Afrin offensive (photo: DW/S. Steffen)

WorldLink: The aftermath of Erdogan's Afrin attack

How does Turkey's military offensive affect relations of Turks and Kurds in Germany?
Human RightsFebruary 2, 201807:32 min
Deniz Naki, pictured on November 8, 2016, uses a cell phone outside a courtroom in Diyarbakir, Turkey.

Turkey bans Deniz Naki from football

Turkey's FA bans Kurdish player Deniz Naki, effectively for life, just weeks after his car was shot at in Germany.
SportsJanuary 30, 2018
Kurdish cultural festival in Cologne.

Turkey's attack on Kurds in Afrin reverberates in Germany

The Turkish army attack on the Kurdish YPG militia is creating blowback in Germany and mobilizing diaspora communities.
PoliticsJanuary 23, 2018
A Turkish tank heads towards the Syrian border

Turkey threatens Kurdish-held area in Syria

The Turkish president has threatened to "clear Turkey's southern borders of terror" by targeting a northern Syrian city.
ConflictsJanuary 15, 2018
Deniz Naki FC St. Pauli

Deniz Naki: A political footballer in fear of his life

Deniz Naki has gone from one of Germany's most promising players to hiding in a safe house after an attempt on his life.
SportsJanuary 9, 2018
Marcos poses with a fellow fighter in ranks of the YBS in Sinjar

From fighting 'Islamic State' to rotting in Iraqi jail

Foreign fighters against "Islamic State" have been subjected to heavy mistreatment in Iraqi prisons.
ConflictsDecember 29, 2017
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Kurdish leader remanded

Kurdish opposition leader Demirtas has been remanded in jail until his next hearing in February.
December 8, 201701:40 min
Türkei Akademiker Uraz Aydin

Academics on trial in Turkey

Uraz Aydin is one of hundreds of Turkish academics who are being tried for signing an appeal for peace.
Human RightsDecember 5, 2017
Kurdish demonstration in Dusseldorf

German police clash with Kurdish protesters in Düsseldorf

Clashes betweeen police and Kurdish protesters occured over banned PKK symbols.
PoliticsNovember 5, 2017
Cizre, Turkey

Turkey to target peace acedemics in Germany

Turkish prosecutors have prepared charges against academics living in Germany.
PoliticsOctober 30, 2017
A German and Turkish flag wave side-by-side

Turkey made 81 extradition requests since coup

Turkey has expressed frustration at Germany's lack of movement on extradition requests after a failed coup.
PoliticsOctober 23, 2017
Deutschland Köln | 25. Internationales Kurdisches Kulturfestival in der in der Deutzer Werft

Germany 'toes Turkish line' on PKK images

The German Interior Ministry has chided Cologne police for being too tolerant of Kurdish PKK images.
Law and JusticeSeptember 20, 2017
Frankreich Paris - Loup Bureau nach 50 Tagen aus türkischer Haft entlassen

Journalist freed from Turkish prison is back in Paris

The journalist's release is welcome news but there are still at least 160 Turkish journalists who remain behind bars.
Law and JusticeSeptember 17, 2017
Deutschland Köln | 25. Internationales Kurdisches Kulturfestival in der in der Deutzer Werft

Turkey summons German envoy over Kurdish rally in Cologne

Ankara has summoned Germany's ambassador after more than 10,000 Kurds rallied in Cologne in solidarity with Iraqi Kurds.
PoliticsSeptember 16, 2017
Asli Erdogan

'They're killing me as a writer'

Turkish author Asli Erdogan is not allowed to attend a prizegiving in Germany, although her travel ban has been lifted.
PoliticsSeptember 4, 2017
In this frame grab from video provided by Voice of America, members of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s security detail are shown violently reacting to peaceful protesters

US: Turkish guards indicted for protester attack

Nineteen people, including 15 Turkish guards, have been indicted in a US court for attacking protesters.
PoliticsAugust 30, 2017
A view of Hasankeyf, Turkey, a historic settlement on the banks of the Tigris River threatened by the construction of a hydroelectric dam

Ancient settlement primed for flooding in Turkey

Crews have begun dynamiting Neolithic-era caves near Hasankeyf, Turkey. The historic site will soon be under water.
CultureAugust 23, 2017
YPG fighters in Raqqa

German police raid leftist for posting Kurdish YPG flag

Police in Munich have raided the home of a left-wing activist who posted the flag of Kurdish militia YPG to Facebook.
ConflictsAugust 19, 2017
Türkei, Kurden in Sur

Sur residents still bear scars of war

There are over 24,000 people internally displaced in the southeast of Turkey. Many have still not found a home.
PoliticsJune 29, 2017
Members of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s security detail are shown violently reacting to peaceful protesters during Erdogan's trip last month to Washington

Erdogan's bodyguards not welcome at G20

German officials are preparing for violence at the G20 but not all of it may come from protestors.
PoliticsJune 26, 2017
Fethullah Gulen

Turkey threatens citizenship of 130 nationals

Turkey has urged exiled cleric Fethullah Gulen and others to return to the country or risk losing Turkish citizenship.
PoliticsJune 5, 2017
Bundesaußenminister Sigmar Gabriel in den USA

Gabriel heads to Turkey to improve ties

Germany’s foreign minister heads to Turkey in a bid to soothe relations over a laundry list of issues.
PoliticsJune 5, 2017
Deutschland Mesale Tolu Corlu

Imprisoned German in Turkey receives consular visit

German diplomats have been allowed access to a German national in prison in Turkey for the first time since her arrest.
Law and JusticeJune 2, 2017
Spanien Helikopter AS 532 Cougar in Colmenar Viejo

13 dead in Turkish military helicopter crash

A Turkish military helicopter carrying 13 soldiers has crashed near the Iraqi border.
ConflictsMay 31, 2017
Deutschland Gedenken an Halim Dener

No street sign for Kurdish teen shot by police

Hanover authorities don't want a square to be named after 16-year-old Halim Dener, for fear of stoking ethnic tension.
PoliticsMay 19, 2017
YPJ Kämpferin

Turkey calls for removal of US anti-IS coalition chief

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has called for the removal of Brett McGurk.
PoliticsMay 18, 2017
Washington Pro-Erdogan Demonstranten im Lafayette Park

US condemns Erdogan guards' attack on protesters

The Turkish leader's bodyguards violently attacked a group of pro-Kurdish demonstrators after he met with Donald Trump.
CrimeMay 17, 2017
Abdullah Ocalan

The Middle East's complex Kurdish landscape

DW explains who's who in a complicated struggle that is shaping the Middle East.
PoliticsMay 17, 2017
Türkei Gefängnis Antalya

German journalist arrested in Turkey

German media report that Mesale Tolu, detained since an overnight raid on April 30, faces allegations of terrorism.
PoliticsMay 11, 2017
Syrien Türkei YPG Kämpfer und türkische Panzer Symbolbild

US arming Kurds is a 'threat to Turkey'

Turkey's top diplomat Mevlut Cavusoglu has decried the US order to arm the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia.
ConflictsMay 10, 2017
Türkei Referendum Stimmzettel (picture-alliance/abaca/AA(R. Aydogan)

Merkel: Turks can't vote in Germany for death penalty

Turkey's Erdogan has repeatedly said in recent months he supports reinstating the death penalty.
PoliticsMay 9, 2017
A F-16 fighter jet of the Turkish Air Force

US concern over Turkish air raids in Syria, Iraq

More than a dozen Kurdish fighters have died in unauthorized Turkish air raids in Syria and Iraq.
ConflictsApril 26, 2017
Türkei Kampfjet

Turkish airstrikes 'hit PKK targets'

Turkey's military says it has flown airstrikes on Kurdish rebel sites in northern Iraq and northeastern Syria.
ConflictsApril 25, 2017
Türkei Explosion in Diyarbakir

Diyarbakir blast result of 'terror attack'

Turkey's Interior Minister has gone back on earlier remarks after initially saying Tuesday's explosion was an accident.
ConflictsApril 12, 2017
Syrien YPG in Rakka

More than 200 people from Germany fighting with Kurds

An opposition politician has blasted the government for how it has treated these fighters.
ConflictsApril 10, 2017
Deniz Naki

Ex-Bundesliga star sentenced for 'terror propaganda'

Deniz Naki has been sentenced by a Turkish court for criticizing the government's operations against Kurdish militants.
TerrorismApril 6, 2017
Türkei Selhattin Demirtas HDP Vorsitzender bei einer Demo in Istanbul

Jailed pro-Kurdish party chief ends hunger strike

Demirtas's short-lived hunger strike supported imprisoned Kurds, who abstained from food for up to 40 days.
Law and JusticeApril 1, 2017
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@dwnews: Turkey-Germany row plays out on social media

PoliticsMarch 20, 201706:08 min
Deutschland Zehntausende Kurden gehen in Frankfurt auf die Straße

Turkey summons German envoy over Kurdish rally

Erdogan's spokesman described the rally of pro-Kurdish protesters as a new "scandal" for Germany.
PoliticsMarch 19, 2017
Syrien Frauen mit Kind in Al-Bab

Russia-Turkey ties scramble allegiances inside Syria

The two countries were once on opposite sides in the Syrian conflict, with Ankara opposed to Bashar al-Assad's regime.
ConflictsMarch 10, 2017
Türkei Polizisten bei einer Demo in Istanbul

UN: Turkey guilty of abuses in Kurdish region

A new report has called on the Turkish government to investigate a series of killings in the country's southeast.
PoliticsMarch 10, 2017
Deutschland Polizei geht von Anschlag auf Berliner Weihnachtsmarkt aus

Threat level remains high

Three months after the Berlin Christmas market attack, intelligence officials say further attacks are possible.
TerrorismMarch 8, 2017
Recep Tayyip Erdogan Präsident Türkei

Erdogan calls Yucel a PKK plant

Multiple German cities have banned rallies of support for the Turkish president's pet referendum.
PoliticsMarch 4, 2017
Türkei Sanliurfa - Explosion

Turkey detains 26 after deadly car bomb blast

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, but authorities are placing the blame on the Kurdistan Workers Party.
ConflictsFebruary 18, 2017
Alewiten und Kurden demonstrieren in Köln gegen Erdogan

Trial of Kurdish PKK operative starts in Hamburg

A German court has opened the trial of a top PKK operative on terrorism-related charges.
CrimeFebruary 17, 2017
Türkei Treffen Angela Merkel & Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Merkel's delicate mission to Turkey

Relations between Germany and Turkey have reached an all-time low. Can Merkels's state visit change anything?
PoliticsFebruary 1, 2017
Angela Merkel Recep Tayyip Erdogan Bildkombo

Turkey readies rocky reception for Chancellor Angela Merkel

Criticized by both the government and the opposition, Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Ankara visit may be a tough one.
PoliticsFebruary 1, 2017
Can Dündar

Turkish-German news website launched in Germany

"Özgürüz" aims to provide impartial coverage on issues that are censored in Turkey.
CultureJanuary 24, 2017
Türkei Izmir - Beerdigung für die Opfer des Terror Angriffs

Turkey detains 18 people over Izmir blast

Police have rounded up 18 suspects in connection with the bombing that killed two people outside the city's courthouse.
ConflictsJanuary 6, 2017
Daniel Heinrich

Turkey's history of division

Daniel Heinrich
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called for Turks to unite, but it's far too late for that.
TerrorismJanuary 5, 2017