A senior member of Germany’s Die Linke party has stepped down from the Bundestag’s home affairs committee amid scrutiny over communications with a figure linked to an organised crime group, adding to recent controversies surrounding the Berlin-based party.
Ferat Koçak, a prominent parliamentarian representing the hard-left Die Linke, is under investigation after online exchanges emerged between him and Firas Remmo, a member of the Remmo clan, one of Berlin’s most notorious crime families. The Remmo clan, primarily of Arab and Turkish origin, has been linked to the capital’s illegal narcotics and prostitution sectors and implicated in high-profile crimes including a €10 million bank robbery in 2014.
Screenshots released publicly show Koçak requesting a copy of one of his speeches that criticised what he described as “hysteria” around gang-related crime in Berlin. In another message, Koçak penned “Respectfully returning greetings to your father,” referring to an elder Remmo figure, which drew particular attention given the clan’s criminal reputation.
Die Linke confirmed that Koçak’s responsibilities as an MP have been suspended temporarily pending a full review. A party spokesman said Koçak had voluntarily stepped back “until full transparency is established.” The suspension comes as Die Linke seeks to form a coalition government in Berlin alongside the Greens and the Social Democrats (SPD), following its successful showing in Sunday’s mayoral elections where the party secured 24 percent of the vote.
The scandal deepens concerns about ties between Die Linke and Berlin’s organised crime networks. Issa Remmo, a prominent clan member, was observed at the party’s election night celebration, prompting Die Linke to state that he was neither an invited guest nor officially affiliated with the party. Additionally, Ibrahim Ibrahim, a controversial activist known for his anti-Israel stance and praise of Hamas, was also present at the event.
The SPD responded cautiously, stating that working with Die Linke would be challenging given allegations of anti-Semitism within the party ranks. Die Linke maintains it endorses a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and condemns anti-Semitism, while criticising Israel’s government as driven by right-wing extremists.
Koçak publicly apologised for his contact with the Remmo clan, acknowledging in a message posted on the social media platform X that his communication was a “mistake,” and emphasised that interactions between public officials and individuals linked to organised crime were unacceptable.
This incident follows earlier controversies, including a police investigation into a rapper affiliated with Die Linke who chanted slogans calling for violent action against Israel at a summer party event in Berlin. The party’s leadership, currently under Elif Eralp—who has been compared to New York politician Zohran Mamdani for her anti-capitalist and pro-Palestinian positions—faces mounting pressure to address these issues as it navigates potential governance responsibilities in the German capital.