An exhibition that displays photographs of PKK terrorists has opened in state parliament in the German city of Mainz.
While the PKK is recognized as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU, the exhibition titled "Jin," which means "Woman" in Kurdish, was held in state parliament in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate. Germany outlawed the PKK in 1993.
The "stories" of the PKK terrorists are also on display at the exhibition along with photos of the terrorists.
The owner of the exhibition, Hatice Oğur, in late August told the pro-PKK Yeni Özgür newspaper that she discussed the idea of holding an exhibition with Social Democratic Party (SPD) Deputy Manfred Geis before agreeing to open it in the state parliament of the Rhineland-Palatinate. The PKK exhibition will be open until Sept. 12.
EU member states are often the subject of criticism from Ankara due to the tolerant stance they show toward the PKK, despite it being designated a terrorist group by the EU.
Oğur's exhibition is not the first time that such a photo exhibition has been held. In July 2016, a similar display featuring leaders and members of the PKK and its Syrian offshoot the Democratic Union Party (PYD) was erected in European Parliament (EP). An exhibit of 30 photographs shows images of the PKK and PYD/YPG (People's Protection Units) terrorists in northern Syria, with certain regions being labelled "cantons" in the photo captions. A large photograph taken in 2013 of the former PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan - convicted in 1999 of terrorism and treason and currently serving a life sentence - were also displayed at the exhibit.
Relations between Turkey and Germany, the latter of which is home to 3 million ethnic Turks, have become badly strained, particularly since the failed coup attempt one year ago that targeted Turkey's democratically elected government and was masterminded by the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ). Turkey accuses Germany of harboring high-ranking FETÖ figures and soldiers linked to the coup attempt, in addition to allowing the continuation of the activities of the PKK and the Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-front (DHKP-C) terrorist groups in Germany.
