Germany bans two publishing outlets for PKK support

Interior Minister Horst Seehofer orders ban on Mesopotamia Publishing House and MIR Multimedia, two major propaganda outlets controlled by the PKK terror group.

In this file picture, German special police units leave an apartment building in Berlin, January 16, 2015.
Reuters Archive

In this file picture, German special police units leave an apartment building in Berlin, January 16, 2015.

Germany has banned terror group PKK-linked Mesopotamia Publishing House and MIR Multimedia companies, the German interior ministry announced on Tuesday.

Interior Minister Horst Seehofer gave the ban order in accordance with the law on associations, the ministry said in a statement. 

German security forces searched the offices of both companies Tuesday morning and seized various documents, the statement said.

Seehofer said the PKK is active in Germany despite being on the terror list, adding such bans were needed at the point of observance of the legal order. 

There are around 14,500 PKK supporters in Germany, making the group the biggest one among foreign terror groups, said Seehofer.

In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK — recognised as a terrorist group by Turkey, the US and the EU — has been responsible for the deaths of some 40,000 people.

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