‘Merkel ignores call to rescue our children from PKK’

BERLIN (AA) - A German-Turkish mother has criticized Chancellor Angela Merkel for ignoring repeated calls from parents for her help to rescue their children who were forcibly recruited by the PKK terror group in Germany.

Maide T. told reporters in front of the Chancellory that she has not yet received an invitation from Chancellor Merkel, her advisors, or any of the ministers, although she is protesting here every week, ahead of the cabinet meetings, for more than a year.

“They’re passing by and ignoring me. This is a shame. It's not humane,” she said, referring to the Chancellor and the ministers seeing her from their cars while she is protesting in front of the Chancellory.

“Here, life of a young girl is at stake. One cannot be so ignorant. These politicians are in these positions to protect the rights of the people, to represent the people in parliament,” she stressed.

Maide T. was flanked by a group of sympathizers who wore t-shirts with a picture of her daughter Nilufer. The protesters also held a banner saying: "The PKK is a virus. Help me save my child."

Nilufer T. has been missing since leaving for school in November 2019.

Dozens of young people from Kurdish immigrant families have been abducted or forcefully recruited in recent years by the PKK terror group, which uses various cultural associations in Germany as cover organizations to continue its activities.

Maide T. said her daughter was influenced by the propaganda of the PKK after visiting a cultural center in the capital Berlin, which was used by the terrorist group for brainwashing young people, and recruiting them to the group.

The PKK has been classified as an “ethno-nationalist” and “separatist” terrorist organization by the EU's law enforcement agency EUROPOL, and has been banned in Germany since 1993.

But it remains active in the country, with nearly 14,500 followers among the country's Kurdish immigrant population.

Turkey has long criticized German authorities for not taking serious measures against the PKK, which uses the country as a platform for their recruitment, fundraising, and propaganda activities.

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