Turkey: Another mother joins sit-in protest against PKK

By Ahmet Kaplan

DIYARBAKIR, Turkey (AA) - On Friday, another mother joined a sit-in protest in southeastern Turkey outside the provincial office of a Turkish opposition party long accused by the government of having links to the PKK terror group.

The protest started on Sept. 3 in Diyarbakir after a mother, Fevziye Cetinkaya, said her 17-year-old son was forcibly recruited by the PKK through members of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP).

Immihan Nilifirka travelled from Turkish metropolis Istanbul to join the sit-in protest, which is growing every day. She claimed her son was kidnapped by the PKK four years ago in Istanbul.

Nilifirka said her son went out after having his meal at home on March 21, 2015 and never came back. Mehmet was 22-year-old when he disappeared.

"[...] He had two months to graduate [from Ege University in Izmir]. There has been no news since then. We went everywhere. I came here to support other mothers and to get my son back hopefully," said the grieving mother.

Also earlier, five Iranian families also joined the sit-in for their children -- who were kidnapped by the PJAK, the offshoot of the PKK terrorist group based in Iran.

Last month, another mother, Hacire Akar, staged a similar protest near the party's office. Her son returned home a few days later giving hope to a number of mothers who suffer the same circumstances.

In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU -- has been responsible for the deaths of some 40,000 people, including women, children and infants.