Two important Kurdish institutions in Germany, Mesopotamia Publishing and Mir Music, were banned recently on orders from Interior Minister Horst Seehofer. Politicians continue to express their protests against the ban against the institutions.

Die Linke (Left Party) MP Helin Evrim Sommer issued a written statement on the matter and condemned the ban against the two Kurdish institutions.

Sommer pointed out that the German state supports Turkey’s government through the Kurds and human rights violations before every election and said: “These most recent practices show that this is now foreign policy for Germany.”

“THE BAN IS A HOSTILE ATTITUDE AGAINST AN OPPRESSED PEOPLE”

Sommer said the ban against Mesopotamia Publishing and Mir Music on orders from the Interior Ministry is a new sign that points to the same thing and condemned Minister Seehofer’s language for its similarity to that of Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu. The Die Linke MP’s statement continued as follows:

“The language used by German and Turkish interior ministers coinciding almost word for word is another sign of coordination in the matter. Shutting down a publishing house and a music agency expresses, in one way, the hostile attitude against an oppressed people who are trying to survive with limited resources, and shows that not enough has been learned from the dark stain in history that is book burnings in another.

This support for the Erdogan regime, which has made their anti-democratic methods into routine daily practices under the guise of Islam in Turkey, cannot be explained away with commercial interests alone. There is a corresponding mindset that must be mentioned here. It is clear that this mindset can’t represent freedoms in Germany either, or fight against the neo-right wing currents that are against freedom. As such, all conscious circles in Germany protesting the matter is not just solidarity with an oppressed people, but also upholding their own freedom.”