Mothers at Turkish sit-in protest urge children to flee PKK terror group, surrender

By Ahmet Kaplan

DIYARBAKIR, Turkey (AA) - Families of children forcibly recruited and abducted by the PKK terror group continued a sit-in protest on Wednesday in southeastern Turkey.

Families in the province of Diyarbakir have been protesting for 702 straight days, encouraging their children to lay down their weapons and surrender to authorities.

Protests outside the office of the opposition Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) started with three mothers on Sept. 3, 2019, who said their children were forcibly recruited by the terrorists. The Turkish government accuses the HDP of having links to the PKK and Turkish prosecutors have filed a court case in March to have it banned on those grounds.

Families are encouraged by the recent return of children abducted by the terror group.

Guzide Demir joined the sit-in to bring back her son, Aziz.

She cited the recent reunion of three mothers with their children last week. “We want to experience the same happiness,” she said. “My son was deceived and taken to the mountains by the HDP.”

Demir said she would not stop protesting until his son is returned and urged Aziz to surrender to Turkish security forces.

Celil Begdas, said the group will continue to protest until the families are reunited with their children.

He encouraged other families for support. “Let's all save our children from these oppressors. Our children are miserable there,” he said.

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

*Writing by Zehra Nur Duz in Ankara.