Germany arrests suspected member of Kurdish militant group

BERLIN – German authorities said Friday they have arrested a suspected member of the banned Kurdish militant group PKK near Frankfurt Airport.

Federal prosecutors said the man, a Turkish citizen identified only as Gokmen C. for privacy reasons, was arrested Thursday at the railway station connected to the airport.

The man is suspected of having co-ordinated PKK activities in parts of central Germany between April 2018 and June 2019.

Prosecutors said the suspect took part in propaganda events and co-ordinated the collection of donations, while reporting to the group’s leadership in Europe.

The PKK is considered a terror organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union. Since 1984 its members have been waging a separatist insurgency inside Turkey that has claimed tens of thousands of lives.