Bundestag member Cansin Köktürk collects donations after being fined for criticizing the AfD

The heated exchange in the Bundestag had already made headlines. Now one of those involved is continuing to rant on the Internet, accusing Bundestag Vice President Andrea Lindholz (CSU) of promoting a “debate culture with fascists”.

What had happened? Initially, AfD politician René Springer accused asylum seekers, among other things, of abusing the welfare state in his speech on the budget debate in the Bundestag on Friday. Social welfare recipients who are wanted with an arrest warrant must also have their money cut off. Springer said literally: “We will ensure that when they come to the job center, only one thing will happen: the handcuffs will click and not a single euro will be paid.”

The consequence: Köktürk - a qualified social worker who entered the Bundestag via the NRW state list in 2025 - is now the first MP to have to pay a fine of 2,000 euros. Bundestag Vice President Andrea Lindholz (CSU) applied the new, stricter rules of Parliament's rules of procedure in the budget debate.

Accordingly, a fine of 2,000 euros can be imposed on MPs if they receive three calls for order within three weeks of the meeting. In the event of a repeat offense, there is even a risk of a fine of 4,000 euros.

“Capitalist threats of fines” wouldn’t change anything

The 33-year-old from North Rhine-Westphalia has now appeared again on her Instagram account (163,000 followers). In a story, she explained that she would gratefully accept the calls to order “in the name of anti-fascism.”

The CSU politician had previously taken a personal stance on the incident in an Instagram story and explained herself. According to media reports, Lindholz explained that “passion” does not justify violations of the Bundestag’s house rules. The calls for order and the associated fine of 2,000 euros are therefore justified.

Köktürk also responded to this statement: "Hear, hear! Andrea Lindholz speaks of 'passion' when I, as a migrant woman, defend myself against racism," it says. And further: "Even if you (Lindholz, d. Red) hide behind the 'order' and the 'dignity' of the house: a parliament loses its dignity the moment racism goes unchallenged." The Left also accuses the CSU politician of having now dropped her “mask”. They should “continue to go their own way” and, quote, continue the “debate culture of the fascists”.

For her first Instagram post, in which Cansin Köktürk commented on the incident in the Bundestag (quote: “I oppose the normalization of racist and misanthropic content of the AfD in the German Parliament. Nobody can intimidate me or silence me with capitalist threats of fines. It is my responsibility as a member of parliament to stand up (...)”), the left-wing member of the Bundestag has now received over 106,000 hearts (as of: Sunday morning).

Now the politician is calling for donations

A little later, Köktürk called for donations in a “Gofundme” campaign. The donation goal is set at 16,000 euros, with 14,017 euros she has already collected 88 percent of it (as of Sunday morning). The call says: "My name is Cansin Köktürk and I oppose the normalization of racist and misanthropic content of the AfD in the German parliament. Nobody can intimidate me or silence me with capitalist threats of fines. It is my responsibility as a member of parliament to stand up. It is enough."

And further: "The AfD rattles its racist agenda up and down, against people who are fleeing war, persecution and torture here. As a migrant woman and member of parliament, I collect fines because I stand up against fascism." Her answer to this is: "Love. We don't let people drown in the Mediterranean. We save people's lives."

The money will be donated to Sea Watch e.V. and thus to civil sea rescue.