A PKK terrorist gets prison time in Germany for his illegal activities

A former member of the banned PKK terrorist group has been sentenced by a German court to two years and nine months in prison for membership of a terrorist organization.

The 37-year-old Turkish national was found guilty by a court in Hamburg of fundraising and organizing propaganda events for the PKK in Darmstadt, Berlin and Munich between March 2013 and August 2014 under the code name "Siyar."

As part of his verdict, Judge Norbert Sakuth said that Turkey "disregards the rights of Kurds" meant that he had to consider the case with particular care, but that "terrorism does not justify terrorism."

Sakuth said that mitigating factors in the case were that the defendant did not have a criminal record and that he had "had to suffer expulsion from his home country."

Ankara has accused Germany of harbouring PKK militants, one of many sticking points in the countries' diplomatic relationship.