Turkey: 3 more families join anti-PKK protest

By Mesut Varol and Necat Hazar

VAN, Turkey (AA) - Three more families joined ongoing sit-in protests against the YPG/PKK terror group in eastern Turkey on Friday.

In the province of Van, grieving families, whose children were kidnapped by YPG/PKK terrorists, have been staging a rally since Feb. 27.

They marched to the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) office while shouting slogans against the PKK terror organization, the HDP and urged children to surrender.

The HDP is a Turkish opposition party that the government accuses of having close ties to PKK terrorists.

The families, hopeful that more families will be reunited with their children as a result of persuasion efforts by security forces, joined the protest in Van and called for their children to surrender.

The number of families who responded to the PKK terror group thanks to the new families has increased to 25.

Musa Abali said he joined the demonstration for his daughter.

He said she was kidnapped by the terror group in 2015 and he has not heard from her for six years and the HDP is responsible.

“They kidnapped my daughter when she was at school by lying that they were going to take her to a picnic,” he said. “My child is a kidney patient. We have perished as a whole family. I am here to get my daughter back.”

“I am calling on her. There is no end to this -- run, come. We don’t have the power to hold on anymore. Don’t trust them, find an opportunity, come and surrender to your state. I just joined the protest but I will not leave without my daughter.”

Ekrem Atmaca, who came from Patnos district of eastern Agri province, said he joined for his brother, who was kidnapped by the terror group in 2015.

“All we want is for our children to come home safe and sound. So, we will continue to raise our voices. Our action will continue until everyone is reunited with their children,” said Atmaca, while noting that his family has never heard from his brother for years.

Medine Adiyaman, a mother from Baskale district in Van, said she joined for her son who was kidnapped by PKK terrorists seven years ago.

She lives with the hope of getting her son back because she has never heard from him since he was abducted.

“My child was taken from us when he was just 13 years old. They deceived him. May God perish the ones that put us into this suffering. They took our children, our lungs from us,” she said. “We came here with the hope of getting our children back. We will raise our voices much louder from now on. Hopefully, all mothers and fathers will reunite with their children as soon as possible.”

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

*Writing by Merve Berker