Kurdish activist Kenan Ayaz will return to Cyprus on 8 September following an agreement between German and Cypriot authorities, concluding a controversial extradition case that began when he was arrested at Larnaca airport in March 2023.
Ayaz will arrive at Larnaca airport and be transferred to Central Prison to complete a 4.5-year sentence for membership in the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), according to his lawyers Efstathios Efstathiou and Antonia von der Behrens.
The 49-year-old activist had lived in Cyprus for 10 years as a recognised political refugee before his arrest on a European warrant issued by Germany on international terrorism charges.
Ayaz to complete 4.5-year sentence following PKK membership conviction
German courts convicted Ayaz in 2024 of PKK membership, sentencing him to 4.5 years’ imprisonment. Turkey, the European Union, the United States and the United Kingdom have designated PKK as a terrorist organisation.
Ayaz’s defence team described the German court decision as legally flawed and in violation of his rights under the European Convention on Human Rights. The lawyers argued he was never charged with violent offences but remained in German custody under strict anti-terrorism conditions for over two years.
The Deputy Ministry of Migration has provided assurances that Ayaz’s political refugee status will be reinstated upon his return to Cyprus.
German prosecutors alleged Ayaz was a PKK member in 2018 and 2020, claiming high-ranking members ordered him to organise demonstrations and convene meetings. The European arrest warrant was issued before the NATO summit in June 2022, when Turkey was negotiating over Sweden and Finland’s membership.
The case generated controversy in Cyprus. Multiple political parties, including AKEL and the Greens, opposed the extradition.
Supporters feared extradition to Germany would lead to further transfer to Turkey, where Ayaz faces additional charges. The Larnaca District Court that approved his initial extradition specifically requested Germany not proceed with further extradition to Turkey.
Authorities in Cyprus must now determine the actual prison term according to Cypriot law. His lawyers argued he has already served excessive time due to what they termed “continuous persecution of the Kurdish movement by Germany.”
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan explicitly praised Ayaz’s criminal trial during a November 2023 visit to Germany, according to German media reports. Kurdish organisations claim Turkey provided Germany with nearly 4,000 names it considers Kurdish terrorists since 2017.
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