Family of Mehmet Çakas: Possible extradition decision would be political rather than legal

The family of Kurdish activist Mehmet Çakas, who faces deportation to Turkey, stated that they consider this decision to be political rather than legal, and emphasized that they will not recognize it.

Kurdish activist Mehmet Çakas, who comes from Bingöl, was detained in Italy in December 2022 at the request of German authorities and extradited to Germany in March 2023. In April 2024, the Higher Regional Court of Celle sentenced Çakas to two years and ten months in prison on charges of “membership in the PKK.” Çakas is currently being held at the Uelzen Prison in Lower Saxony, with his release date scheduled for October 4, 2025.

The political activist’s asylum application was rejected by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF). The Lüneburg Administrative Court also rejected the appeal against his deportation without considering the grounds. Recently, the public prosecutor's office waived the execution of the prison sentence, paving the way for his deportation to Turkey.

Mehmet Çakas' family warned that “the serious risk of deportation continues.” The family stated that the German courts' possible extradition decision would be political rather than legal.

The Çakas family issued a statement, saying the following:

“At present, there is a serious risk of extradition to Turkey. Legal, political, diplomatic, and other measures are being taken to prevent this decision from being implemented. We view this decision as a political stance rather than a legal one. It will also have a negative impact on the ongoing process (for peace and democracy in Turkey). We condemn the German court's decision and will never accept it. At a time when there is a possibility that the Kurdish question could be resolved through democratic means and methods, the anti-solution stance of some European states, particularly Germany, is thought-provoking from the perspective of the Kurds.”

Mehmet Çakas' lawyer, Cornelia Ganten-Lange, filed an urgent appeal with the German Constitutional Court against the imminent deportation. The decision is expected to be announced in the coming days.