German officials visit Turkish diplomatic mission after attack by supporters of PKK terror group

By Anadolu staff

BERLIN (AA) - German officials visited the Turkish Consulate General in Hannover on Thursday to demonstrate their solidarity after an attack on the diplomatic mission by the supporters of the PKK terror group.

Hannover’s Mayor Belit Onay condemned the attack and said he was informed by the police that additional security measures will be taken to prevent such incidents in the future.

“When we watched the videos of the attack, we saw how violent it was. It is never acceptable for such a thing to happen in our city. We have absolutely no tolerance for such violence,” he said.

Hannover’s police chief Gwendolin von der Osten accompanied Onay during the visit, and informed Turkish officials about the additional security measures put in place by the authorities.

Turkish Ambassador to Berlin Ahmet Basar Sen, who traveled to Hannover on Thursday, thanked Mayor Onay and his delegation for their visit, and said Türkiye expects more determined action against the terror group.

“We want to see that the perpetrators of this attack will be identified and brought to justice,” he said, adding that they would continue their close cooperation with the German authorities on the matter.

“The bigger problem is that the PKK terror group, which has been banned in Germany for more than 30 years, still continues fundraising campaigns in the country, carries out propaganda activities causing radicalization of young people,” Ambassador Sen told Anadolu after the meeting.

“What we expect from German authorities is that the fight against the PKK terror group should cover all areas. They should take actions against the structures of the terror group, its cover organizations here, which operate under the guise of civilian associations,” he said.

- Tuesday’s attack

A group of PKK supporters attacked Türkiye’s Consulate General building on Tuesday evening following a pro-PKK demonstration in the city center, without any intervention from the police.

There were no injuries in the attack but the windows and main entrance door to the building were damaged.

The PKK, classified as an "ethno-nationalist" terror organization by the EU's law enforcement agency, Europol, has been banned in Germany since 1993.

But it remains active with nearly 14,500 followers among the immigrant population, according to the German domestic intelligence agency, BfV.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK has been responsible for the deaths of 40,000 people.