German far-left lawmaker Gökay Akbulut found herself at the center of a controversy when she was briefly detained during her visit to her native Turkey earlier this month. Akbulut, a staunch advocate of Kurdish rights and a prominent figure within the opposition far-left Die Linke party, took to the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) on Saturday evening to shed light on her unexpected detention.
“I was only in Turkey at the airport when I discovered that there was an arrest warrant against me from the Kayseri public prosecutor’s office,” Akbulut revealed in her tweet, highlighting the surprise and suddenness of the situation. She further shared that the case file, which presumably contained details about the alleged charges against her, was mysteriously deleted within a matter of hours before she could testify.
The German Foreign Office in Berlin confirmed its awareness of Akbulut’s arrest, which transpired on August 3. The German embassy in Ankara and the consulate in Antalya remained in close contact with the lawmaker throughout her detainment. The Foreign Office also stated that the Federal Government had intervened on her behalf through various channels, signaling the significance of the diplomatic efforts undertaken to address the situation.
While the official reason behind Akbulut’s arrest remains unclear, the Turkish Interior Ministry has yet to provide any commentary on the matter. Akbulut’s detention has raised questions about the separation of powers within Turkey, prompting her to emphasize her resilience in the face of adversity.
“I want to express my gratitude to the Foreign Office for its unwavering support. This incident once again underscores the challenges to the separation of powers in Turkey. Rest assured, I will not be intimidated by the arrest warrant,” Akbulut declared defiantly in her social media post.
Akbulut also provided updates in her latest tweet as below (google translate)
1. I was accused of “terror propaganda” based on social media posts from 2019.
2. The multiple death threats against me also came from Kayseri (Turkey), like the arrest warrant.
3. I kept my visit to relatives short and left the country.
4. In October I will travel to #Türkei again as part of the delegation trip of the German-Turkish Parliamentary Group and, as always, will not mince my words: #FreeThemAll
Gökay Akbulut, a member of the German parliament (Bundestag) since 2017, was born in Turkey and identifies herself as Kurdish-Alevi. Her background as an outspoken advocate for Kurdish rights and her persistent criticism of the Turkish government have positioned her as a vocal figure within German politics. Notably, she has been actively campaigning for the lifting of Germany’s ban on the activities of the Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK), which is classified as a terrorist organization both in Turkey and the European Union.
(With inputs from DPA news agency)
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