2 more families in Turkiye reunited with PKK-kidnapped children

By Omer Yasin Ergin, Ahmet Kaplan, and Ibrahim Yaldiz

DIYARBAKIR/MUS, Turkiye (AA) - Another family was reunited Wednesday with their child who had been kidnapped by the PKK terror group in southeastern Turkiye, according to security sources.

Since Sept. 3, 2019, protesting families, whose number has reached 263 with the latest additions, have camped for 905 days outside the Diyarbakir offices of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), a political party the Turkish government said has links to the PKK.

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

Some families whose children with disabilities were abducted by the terrorists issued a statement to make their voices heard.

Mother Adalet Dogan and father Abdulsamet Dogan, who have joined the anti-PKK protests since Aug. 12, 2020, have been finally reunited with their son Ferdi Dogan.

Mentioning that they came from eastern Mus province with the hope of getting their child back from the terror group, Dogan family said their son was abducted by the PKK when he was 16 years old.

Ferdi Dogan surrendered to the Turkish security forces through persuasion efforts.

Mother Dogan stressed her hope for all protesting families to reunite with their children. Father Dogan, for his part, also thanked everyone that contributed to the process of getting their son back from the terrorist organization after seven years.

- Mus province

Families in Turkiye's Mus province also shared the joy of the families that reunited with their children.

“Thank God, our children are returning to their families one by one,” said Gulbahar Teker, a protesting mother in the province.

“Two more children surrendered to the security forces yesterday. We are not afraid of anyone, we are here. The ones that surrendered are also our own children,” she said, adding: “Hopefully, ours will come back, as well. We were very happy that they surrendered.”

She also called on others to surrender to the Turkish security forces: “Your place is by our side. Don’t be afraid, come and surrender.”

Ayten Koc, another protesting mother, also noted that their protest has been continuing for 45 weeks.

“We are so happy that they came back and surrendered. They are our beloved children, as well,” she stressed.

Koc shared her expectation that her children will also return from the mountain and reunite with their parents.

Urging all children abducted by the terror members to surrender to the security forces, she added: “We want our children from the HDP and PKK. HDP is the head of the snake. Enough is enough, we don’t want to shed any more tears. All the families here have suffered enough.”

Semsettin Ozcan, a father in the anti-terror sit-in, also said they will keep waiting for the return of their children.

He also called on all children to lay down arms and surrender to the security forces, underlining: “We are here, waiting for our children.”

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

*Writing by Merve Berker in Ankara