Germany’s decision to invite Ahmed al-Sharaa (al-Jolani), despite the massacres carried out against Druze, Alawite communities, and most recently Kurdish neighborhoods in Aleppo by the authority established in Syria under the leadership of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), has drawn strong criticism from Die Linke MP Ferat Koçak.
Syria’s Interim President has canceled the visit on Sunday night, due to the situation in the country.
Before the cancelation, Koçak spoke to ANF, describing the German government’s decision to invite al-Sharaa as an unethical step taken to curb the rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).
He stressed that the invitation directly contradicted the German government’s repeated claims of opposing “radical Islamists,” and drew attention to crimes against humanity committed in Syria. Koçak underlined that treating a figure with al-Qaeda roots as a legitimate statesman is unacceptable.
Koçak described the invitation extended to Al-Sharaa as a scandal and said: “It is especially unacceptable that this was done with the thinking that ‘if we solve the refugee issue, we can weaken AfD.’ The message being conveyed is clear: ‘Everything is now fine in Syria, we can send people back.’ The real aim is this: if we send refugees back, we can reduce AfD’s votes and weaken its power. That is why these collaborations are being established. But there is a very serious contradiction here. They constantly say, ‘We are against ISIS and radical Islamists,’ and then they go and cooperate with the largest Islamist structures. Whether it is al-Qaeda or the Taliban, this is precisely where the core problem lies.”
Koçak said that Die Linke had protested the invitation and stressed that al-Jolani’s arrival in Germany at a time when such massacres are taking place were not to be considered legitimate. He continued: “Our expectation are very clear. Chancellor Friedrich Merz and the government must end all forms of cooperation with the Iranian regime, the Taliban, the regime in Syria, and the actors supporting it. At the same time, policies of repression must also come to an end. We know that Turkey is supporting the new formations in Syria. For this reason, this government must both sever its relations with these countries and question its relations with states that cooperate with them and clearly put forward a distinct political stance.
This structure has been in power for one year. During this period, Druze, Alawite communities, and especially, in recent days, Kurds in the neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud (Şêxmeqsûd) and Ashrafieh (Eşrefiyê) have been targeted. What is happening in Syria and the massacres being carried out are evident. Videos of massacres are circulating everywhere; everyone sees them. Despite this, how can the close stance taken by various states toward this structure be explained? This is clearly a scandal.
This person’s real identity and name is al-Jolani. Changing his name does not change reality. We protest this man’s visit to Germany, and we support these protests, together with society, including German society. Because this man has blood on his hands. Through al-Qaeda, thousands of people were killed; women were raped, children were massacred. Sitting at the table with such a figure and treating him as a statesman is unacceptable. I openly condemn and protest this.”
Koçak also called for support for the Kurdish people’s struggle for freedom in Rojava and Rojhilat (Eastern Kurdistan), drawing particular attention to the resistance of the Kurdish people in Rojhilat in recent years under the slogan “Jin, Jiyan, Azadî (Women, Life, Freedom)” and to the massacres carried out by the Iranian state.
Koçak also said: “There is an important point that German politics and society fail to understand. ‘Jin, Jiyan, Azadi’ is a slogan produced by Kurdish society. It is the philosophy of Abdullah Öcalan. Yes, jineology lies at its core. There is also a problem of gender equality in Germany, but the patriarchal system in the Middle East is far harsher and far more oppressive. In Rojava and in Iran, women are struggling with their heads held high, saying ‘Jin, Jiyan, Azadi.’ Abdullah Öcalan explains the reason for this very clearly with his words: ‘A society cannot be free unless women are free.’
What does this mean? It means an anti-colonial approach. Because the most fundamental colonial relationship, even before countries and states, is the colonization of women by men. At the same time, this is an anti-capitalist approach. Because if this women’s revolution truly succeeds, it will create a major transformation even in Western countries where male dominance is strong. This is what they are afraid of. That is why they do not support the Kurdish freedom struggle; they are afraid of the Rojava model created by the Kurdish people. This is their real fear.
It is easy to say ‘Jin, Jiyan, Azadi’ in the German parliament, but they do not want to truly understand what this slogan means. This is exactly where our struggle begins. We will continue to explain what the ‘Jin, Jiyan, Azadi’ struggle truly represents and confront them with this reality until it is understood.”