1 more family joins anti-PKK sit-in in southeastern Türkiye

By Mehmet Siddik Kaya

DIYARBAKIR, Türkiye (AA) - A sit-in in Türkiye’s southeastern Diyarbakir province continues to grow as one more family joined the protest against the PKK terror group.

Since Sept. 3, 2019, the protesting families have been camping outside the offices of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), a party the Turkish government says has links to the PKK.

Hatun Yuceyurt said her son Serdar was “taken to the mountains” by the PKK terror group when he was 15.

Yuceyurt told reporters that she was watching the sit-in on TV and decided to join the protest to make her voice heard.

“My son left the house saying 'I'm going to play football'. I haven't heard from him for years,” she said.

Demonstrations have also spread to other provinces, including Van, Mus, Sirnak, and Hakkari.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the US, and EU – has been responsible for the deaths of more than 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants.

The protest has borne fruit as dozens of children forcibly abducted or recruited by the terror group fled the PKK and reunited with their families.

*Writing by Gozde Bayar in Ankara