A Labour MP hosted a person on the centre of a terror group probe in parliament simply weeks earlier than his arrest, Sky Information can reveal.
Agit Karatas is one in every of six individuals who have been charged on Tuesday with being members of the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) after an investigation by counter-terrorism police in London.
The Kurdistan Staff’ Occasion, referred to as the PKK, has been a proscribed organisation since 2001 for its advocation of Kurdish self-rule by way of each political and armed battle.
Karatas, a 23-year-old Kurdish rights campaigner, is a part of the Centre for Kurdish Progress, a long-established group with hyperlinks to MPs.
Agit Karatas (second from proper) on the APPG assembly. Pic: @APPGKurds
In October this 12 months, he was given entry to the parliamentary property for the primary assembly of a brand new All-Occasion Parliamentary Group, the APPG on Kurds, chaired by Labour MP for Exeter, Steve Race.
The group is cross-party, with parliamentarians from throughout the political spectrum listed as members.
In attendance on the assembly have been Labour’s first Kurdish MP and science minister Feryal Clark, Labour MP Afzal Khan, Unbiased MP Shockat Adam and Lord Michael Cashman.
Addressing the room, Karatas stated the APPG would prepare for “a delegation to Iraq and Syria upon which MPs and UK officers can meet officers within the Kurdistan area of Iraq and in North East Syria”.
He was additionally linked to a earlier APPG on Kurdistan in Turkey and Syria, which was chaired by former Labour MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle.
His entry to parliament is through the Centre for Kurdish Progress, based by Ibrahim Dogus, who’s well-known in Westminster by way of the annual kebab awards, which is commonly attended by high-profile political figures.
Mr Dogus can also be a Labour councillor who has stood as a parliamentary candidate twice for the celebration, in 2017 and 2019.
Karatas was one in every of two ladies and 4 males charged on Tuesday with being PKK members after being arrested and detained underneath the Terrorism Act 2000 on 27 November.
Sky Information approached Mr Race and the Labour Occasion however they declined to remark.
