Niedersachsen’s commissioner for migration and participation, SPD politician Deniz Kurku, has resigned following renewed scrutiny of his family’s links to the circumstances surrounding the June massacre in Stade, in which six people were killed.
Kurku announced on Friday that he was stepping down from the honorary position with immediate effect, citing “massive hostility and threats” as well as what he described as false claims circulating in parts of the media and on social media. His resignation does not affect his position as a member of the Lower Saxony state parliament.
The development follows reports based on investigative files concerning Kurku’s mother-in-law, Sylvia S., who is alleged to have driven the getaway vehicle used by the gunman, Fatih Khan Gazioglu.
Gazioglu, a 45-year-old Turkish national from the Hanover area, allegedly shot six employees at a mother-and-child facility in Stade on June 29.
The victims included staff from the facility and employees of the local youth welfare office. Gazioglu was arrested after the attack but later died by suicide in pre-trial detention.
Investigators believe the shooting was linked to a custody dispute involving his infant daughter.
Kurku himself has denied any involvement in the case. After his family connection became public in July, he said through his lawyer that he had not known Gazioglu, had not been involved in the custody dispute and had no advance knowledge of the attack.
New reporting by German outlet NIUS has nevertheless raised further questions about the extent of the family’s contact with Gazioglu before the killings.
According to documents reviewed by NIUS, Kurku’s name allegedly appeared in a conversation between his mother-in-law and Gazioglu on May 5, almost eight weeks before the massacre.
Sylvia S., a known open border activist, is reported to have suggested sending a “Deniz from Hannover” to the hospital and leaving his business card there. Investigators subsequently identified the person referred to as Kurku.
The report does not establish that Kurku knew about the alleged plan or that he actually became involved in the dispute. NIUS’s reporting instead raises questions about whether his mother-in-law intended to seek his assistance.
Sylvia S. had been acting as an informal supporter of Gazioglu’s family during the custody dispute. She was subsequently identified by investigators as the person driving the grey Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupé in which Gazioglu fled the scene. Her precise role in the events remains under investigation.
The new revelations prompted an application from the opposition AfD in the Lower Saxony parliament to question Kurku about possible contacts or attempts to provide assistance before the attack.
Kurku did not attend a parliamentary interior committee meeting on Thursday, one day before announcing his resignation.
Kurku had held the honorary position since November 2022. The office acts as an independent intermediary representing migrants’ interests to the state parliament and government.
Lower Saxony Minister-President Olaf Lies, also of the SPD, defended Kurku and condemned the threats against him, including what he described as “conspiracy speculation” and death threats. He said Kurku’s decision to step down deserved “recognition and respect”.
The investigation into the Stade killings and the role of people connected to the gunman remains ongoing.
