Yüksel Koç, a Kurdish politician residing in Bremen, was taken into custody at 7 a.m. following a raid on his home. It was reported that he was detained as part of an investigation being conducted in Karlsruhe. Searches were conducted at his house until 11 a.m.

After the search, the police reportedly did not provide any concrete documents to the family and took Yüksel Koç to Karlsruhe.

KCDK-E co-chair activities presented as a crime

Lawyer Fatma Sayın told ANF: "The arrest warrant for my client, Yüksel Koç, is under Article 129-B and relates to the allegation that he is a member of the PKK. The time period under investigation concerning my client is between 2016 and 2023, during which he served as co-chair of the KCDK-E, and these were completely legal political activities. An arrest warrant was issued on 4 April 2025. However, he was taken into custody this morning during a raid and taken to Karlsruhe. Once the arrest warrant is read to him, I believe he will be brought back to Bremen, where he resides, or to the nearest location, Hamburg, and the trial will proceed from there. My client is a publicly known individual recognized for his legal activities. Since he has not been involved in any illegal activity, we will file all legal objections during the trial process."

Is Germany supporting the peace process by arresting Kurds?

Yüksel Koç has long been one of the most prominent figures in Kurdish politics in Germany and across Europe. His detention at a time when peace talks are ongoing in Turkey has raised questions.

Mehmet Demir, who has been waging a legal battle for years against the anti-Kurdish criminalization in Germany stemming from the PKK ban, also criticized the arrest of Yüksel Koç.

Pointing out that the PKK declared its self-dissolution at its 12th Congress and recalling the statement of satisfaction from Germany’s Foreign Ministry, Demir said: "It is quite significant that Yüksel Koç, former KCDK-E co-chair who hasn’t participated in any political activity for the past two years, was detained right in May, when the PKK announced its dissolution."

Demir added: "The Federal Foreign Ministry said it was pleased with the PKK Congress and declared its desire to take initiative for peace. So is this initiative meant to target the KCDK-E and its former co-chair who served from 2016 to 2023? Is Germany supporting the peace process by detaining Kurds? Both the previous and current governments have announced publicly that they support the peace process. Criminalizing and imprisoning Kurds for their legal activities cannot support peace."

Criminalization policy targeting Kurds in Bremen

In recent years, anti-Kurdish criminalization activities by German police have increased in Bremen. Kurdish asylum claims, citizenship applications, employment, and association efforts are being criminalized. Police raids on Kurdish associations have become routine, and Kurds are being blacklisted simply for attending community centers regularly.

On 26 April 2025, police raided a community center while more than 30 women were present. People were held inside for hours without being shown any documentation. Muhlis Kocaağa, a Bremen state MP from Die Linke, told ANF: "I’ve witnessed various association or police raids before, but this is the first time I’ve seen such a raid. I’ve never seen one last this long. They didn’t even explain the reason."

On 21 November 2024, the Democratic Kurdish Community Center in Bremen was raided by police in the early hours. After hours of searching, many books and digital materials were confiscated.

On 21 February 2024, unknown individuals placed bullets marked with Nazi SS symbols and swastikas in the center’s mailbox. Despite legal complaints, there has been no progress in the investigation.

On 16 January 2024, German police raided the Democratic Kurdish Community Center in Bremen, scattering items and confiscating some belongings. Among those taken were two photos of Öcalan hanging on the wall and tickets for a cultural night event in Bremen.

That same day, the home of association member Kadri S. in Bremen-Huckelriede was also raided under the pretext of an investigation, and he was arrested. Kadri S. remains in prison.

In December 2022, the homes of several Kurdish activists in Bremen were raided, and Kurdish politician Mehmet Ç. was extradited from Italy to Germany at Germany’s request and imprisoned in December 2022 on similar grounds.