A debate over political expression in the German parliament culminated in the expulsion of Left Party MP Cansin Köktürk from the Bundestag’s plenary hall after she refused to remove a T-shirt bearing the inscription “Palestine.”
Bundestag President Julia Klockner intervened during Wednesday’s session, deeming Köktürk’s attire an inappropriate political statement for the parliamentary environment. Klockner emphasized that parliamentary rules prohibit the display of political messages through clothing during sessions.
“I asked Ms. Köktürk to change her T-shirt, but she refused, so I had to remove her from the hall,” Klockner declared, underscoring the importance of adhering to the Chamber’s rules.
This is not the first incident where MP Köktürk has drawn attention for her political symbolism. On her first day in the Bundestag, she wore a traditional Palestinian scarf, which provoked strong reactions from conservative CDU members, who called for a ban on such symbols in the plenary hall.
The incident has ignited a widespread debate on the boundaries between freedom of expression and respect for institutional neutrality. Some critics argue that the rules are applied selectively and unfairly to certain causes.
Similar events have been recorded previously in the German parliament: in 2017, a 13-year-old girl was forced to cover a T-shirt with the slogan “Welcome, Refugees”; in 2009, a student was expelled for a T-shirt bearing the inscription “Make Love, Not War”; and MP Marcel Bauer has been removed several times from the hall for refusing to take off his black beret.
