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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdish lawmakers in Germany's federal parliament, representing a range of political ideologies from center-right to far-left, gathered in Berlin on Tuesday in a bid to show a unified stance for a greater advocacy for Kurdish rights in the country.
Seven Kurds won seats in Germany’s federal parliament, the Bundestag, in February.
Gokay Akbulut, who represents the Left Party and is a member of the Kurdish Life Parliamentary Group, told Rudaw on the sidelines of the meeting that they seek to promote Kurdish identity.
"We constantly face anti-Kurdish sentiment which unfortunately exists in the world," Akbulut said. "We want to form Kurdish clubs, organizations, and initiative associations across all walks of life on municipal, regional, and federal, and even Europe level, stronger."
Established in 2023 at the request of the Kurdish community in Germany, the Kurdish Life Parliamentary Group "aims to incorporate Kurdish perspectives into the political discourse, to contribute them, and to raise the visibility of the structural challenges facing the Kurdish community in Germany," according to the group.
The parliamentary group mainly focuses on anti-Kurdish sentiment, political participation, strengthening civil society structures, and integration policy issues.
Sardar Yuksel of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), for his part said, "we want Kurds to view us as their ambassadors at the Bundestag."
"We are the voice of Kurdistan, here at the German parliament," Yuksel said. "It is important for us to receive complaints about the domestic and foreign policies [of Germany," the Kurdish lawmaker explained.
He said they often "discuss topics of high importance with our government, since Kurds are under pressure, as we see geopolitical challenges."
He detailed that "Kurds need to have trusted friends across the world, specifically at the heart of Europe. Here in Germany, we are the true friends of Kurds."
In their Tuesday gathering, the group of Kurdish lawmakers agreed that they seek to face the obstacles that Kurds in the Diaspora face on a daily basis, and strengthen diplomatic relations between Germany and the Kurds.
They also agreed to work to facilitate visas and bring skilled workers to Germany.
Germany has the largest Kurdish diaspora in the world, and Kurds and their friends in the country are trying to be a heard voice of the largest stateless nation.
Serpil Temiz Unvar, a Germany-based Kurdish activist said Kurds are numerous in Germany and that more has to be done to invest in their skills.
"We must realize who we are, and what we have to do, and what we have done so far," Unvar said.
Germany hosts one of the largest refugee populations worldwide. Tens of thousands of mostly young people leave Iraq and the Kurdistan Region for Europe annually in search of a better life, using smuggling routes. Many hope to settle in Germany.
Alla Shally contributed to this article.
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