PKK/YPG terrorist group’s leadership suspect arrested in Berlin

A Turkish national identified as Mehmet K. has been arrested in Germany on charges of being a member of the PKK/YPG, the Federal Prosecutor’s Office announced.

Details of arrest

The prosecutor’s office stated that Mehmet K. was apprehended in Berlin on Nov. 21 following a warrant issued on Nov. 14. Authorities searched his residences in Oberhausen and Berlin as part of the operation.

Allegations against the terror suspect

The suspect is accused of holding leadership roles within the PKK/YPG since 2014. Mehmet K. allegedly served as a regional coordinator, overseeing organizational, personnel and propaganda activities.

Between October 2014 and June 2015, he was reportedly responsible for the Stuttgart region. By 2024, he had assumed roles in Cologne and northern areas, encompassing Berlin, Hamburg, and Lower Saxony.

Authorities claim Mehmet K. coordinated fundraising activities for the PKK/YPG terrorist organization under the guise of donations and participated in propaganda events and meetings.

He is also alleged to have reported to senior PKK/YPG terrorist figures in Europe. Germany’s public prosecutor’s office commented on the arrest as follows:

The arrest warrant alleges the following key facts:

Since 2014, Mehmet K. has been repeatedly active as a full-time cadre of the PKK, assuming the typical leadership tasks of a “sector leader.” This primarily involved coordinating the organizational, personnel, and propaganda activities of the organization. Between October 2014 and June 2015, he led the “South 2” sector and the “Stuttgart” region.

Subsequently, he served as the head of the “Cologne” region until at least the end of 2015. Since June 2024, he has been overseeing not only the “Berlin” region but also, at the highest level for the organization in Germany, the “North” sector, which includes the PKK regions of “Hamburg,” “Berlin,” and “Lower Saxony.”

The suspect issued directives to cadres and activists under his authority and monitored their implementation. He participated in organizing and conducting propaganda events and assemblies. A significant focus of his activities was overseeing the collection of “donations” for the PKK.

Mehmet K. was accountable to the so-called European leadership of the terrorist organization and was required to follow their directives.

Germany Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office

Court proceedings

Mehmet K. appeared in court on Nov. 22, where he was formally charged and remanded into custody.