The raid launched by the German police raid on Mesopotamia Publishing House and Mir Multimedia institutions in Neuss city yesterday, continues.

Dozens of police are participating in the operation as two Kurdish institutions are being searched in detail. Officials of the publishing house and music production company are held in the offices, into which nobody else is being allowed.

German police have confiscated 7 truckloads of books, CD and musical instruments so far and these are being transported out of the offices.

Kurdish citizens, writers and artists have gathered and made a statement to the press in protest at the police operation, describing it as a “cultural plunder”.

The press statement was read out by Deniz Deman and Xelîl Xemgin, who gave the following message;

“We are living in a country where justice, law and human rights are claimed to prevail. However, evidently, this does not go for the Kurds. As Kurdish people, we know what banning of music, art and culture is. We have experienced such instances in our own countries. However, we are experiencing the same thing in Germany today. These practices are taking place with the approval of Erdoğan.  We as Kurdish artists are working for these institutions for 35 years. The German police are now confiscating our books, CDs and studio materials. While the gangs are plundering our villages and stealing the people’s chickens, the same practice is taking place in the German state today. They are taking away all we have.”

The statement pointed out that this operation came soon after Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu’s visit to Germany, saying; “This is the result of a dirty alliance. The Merkel government is putting pressure on the Kurds in line with the policies of the AKP. Our cultural institutions are being targeted as a result. This is nothing injustice and unlawfulness.”