ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Germany’s Green party on Saturday nominated Kurdish politician Berivan Aymaz as their candidate for the Cologne mayor ahead of municipal elections.
Aymaz was proposed to be the Green’s candidate for the mayor of Cologne, the largest city of North Rhine-Westphalia state and the country’s fourth-most populous city, last month. The party convened on Saturday and officially nominated her for the September local elections.
“Cologne has not only become home for me, as someone with a Kurdish background, but also for many people from Kurdistan. I would be very happy if I could, through my work, inspire them to participate in local politics,” Berivan Aymaz told Rudaw’s Alla Shally following her nomination.
Aymaz was born in the Kurdish province of Bingol in southeast Turkey in 1972 and moved to Germany with her family six years later. She has been a member of the Greens since 2009. She has held several positions, including her election to the state parliament in 2017. She has served as the vice president of the state parliament and spokesperson for Europe since 2022.
The Green Party saw a significant increase in votes during the final parliamentary elections, securing 39 out 195 seats.
Aymaz acknowledged the struggles ahead if she wins the race.
“As you know, our city is not in a good state. The budget is empty, and as a municipality, being the largest municipality in this state and the fourth largest municipality in the Federal Republic of Germany, we have very, very big responsibilities ahead of us,” Aymaz explained.
She was cited in her party’s statement about the nomination as saying that the city is “facing a variety of challenges… In times like these, a lot of empathy is needed, a clear compass, courage and confidence.”
Felix Banaszak, Greens leader, also attended the event. He traveled to Cologne to express his support for the Kurdish politician.
“When we first met, that was during the pub election campaign, I already thought: What strength, what energy, what power! You are the personified powerhouse of constantly renewable energies,” the party cited him as saying.
There is a large Kurdish population in Germany, estimated at more than one million. Most originate from Turkey, but Kurds have also migrated from Iraq, Syria, and Iran, fleeing war or persecution in their home country.
Aymaz stated that she wants all Kurds to exercise their right to vote, emphasizing that most strive to achieve progress through democratic means.
