Germany-based Civaka Azad, the Kurdish Centre for Public Relations, has criticised the German media’s coverage of the Kurdish community’s Saturday march in Cologne, which advocates for the release of Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Öcalan, who has been in isolation for 25 years with no sign of life for the past three.
Civaka Azad’s denunciation targeted the portrayal tactics reminiscent of those employed by Turkish media under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s administration, particularly focusing on the pre-event reporting by prominent German outlets.
The organisation specifically pointed to the coverage by Tagesschau, which, they argue, sets a foreboding tone by emphasising the deployment of police units without seeking comments from the event’s organisers, and suggests a biased narrative.
Civaka Azad further rebuked Tagesschau for inaccurately stating the PKK’s aims, noting that the group has shifted from statehood demands to advocating for Democratic Confederalism—a concept embracing grassroots democracy, gender equality and environmental sustainability. The Kurdish centre urged a correction to reflect these evolved political goals accurately.
The critique extended to Express24, which Civaka Azad accused of outright hostility in its reporting, labelling the demonstration as a “mass rally for the leader of a terrorist group”. This headline, according to Civaka Azad, not only misrepresents thousands of demonstrators but also ventures into outright defamation, branding participants as “terror supporters”. The organisation condemned this portrayal as a baseless provocation, questioning the intent behind such inflammatory journalism.
Highlighting a specific article co-produced by AI “Klara Indernach” and local journalist Adnan Akyüz, Civaka Azad compared the tone and content to that which might be celebrated by Erdoğan’s press in Turkey, labelling it as a stark example of anti-Kurdish racism within German media. The organisation’s critique underscored a broader issue of media responsibility and the impact of narrative framing on public perception, especially concerning minority and immigrant communities’ portrayal. Akyüz previously worked for the mainstream Hürriyet daily newspaper in Turkey, producing articles that praised the Erdoğan administration.
Joining Civaka Azad in their critique, KON-MED, the Confederation of Kurdish Communities in Germany, also expressed its discontent with the German media’s coverage of the Kurdish march. Through their official Twitter handle, KON-MED emphasised their expectation and demand for “sincere and honest reporting” on what they describe as a “righteous and significant demonstration for peace, freedom and democracy”.
KON-MED criticised the current media narrative as being far from constructive or factual, accusing it of fostering a negative atmosphere.
