A group of 12 assailants attacked Turkey’s Consulate General building in Hannover, the capital of Lower Saxony in northwestern Germany, damaging its main entrance, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported.
No one was injured in Tuesday’s attack, but the building sustained damage, Anadolu said, adding that the attackers managed to crack the glass at the main entrance and then quickly fled.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry released a statement about the incident on Wednesday, accusing sympathizers of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), listed as a terrorist group by Turkey and much of the international community, of orchestrating the attack.
“Following the attack, German officials were contacted and reminded that they are responsible for the security of our citizens and diplomatic missions and that provocations against the Turkish community in Europe should not be tolerated,” the ministry said.
Meanwhile, the German Foreign Ministry released a statement on Wednesday, condemning the attack on the Turkish Consulate General in Hannover. The statement said the responsible authorities are investigating the incident, adding that embassies and consulates are under special protection and that it is in contact with Turkey about the incident.
Den gewalttätigen Übergriff auf das türkische Generalkonsulat in #Hannover gestern Abend verurteilen wir auf das Schärfste. Die zuständigen Behörden der Länder ermitteln. Botschaften und Konsulate stehen unter besonderem Schutz. Mit der #Türkei sind wir dazu in Kontakt.
— Auswärtiges Amt (@AuswaertigesAmt) March 27, 2024
The attack comes shortly after a large group of ultranationalist Turks carried out a racist attack on Kurdish families returning to their homes after Nevruz celebrations on Sunday, injuring several of them.
Nevruz is traditionally celebrated by Kurds in the second half of March as the first day of spring.
The attackers reportedly vandalized vehicles and tried to force their way into a house in Heusden-Zolder, where dozens of people had taken shelter. According to witnesses, the attackers tried to set fire to the house, endangering around 40 people inside.
Kurds are Turkey’s largest ethnic minority, making up around 18 percent of the population. The group has faced a long history of discrimination and violence in the country. Hate crimes against Kurds have increased in Turkey in the recent past. The Kurds are mainly accused of links to the PKK, which has been waging a bloody war in the country’s southeast since 1984.
