Turkey: Lockdown forces PKK sit-in protest to hotel

By Omer Yasin Ergin

DIYARBAKIR, Turkey (AA) - Families of children abducted or forcibly recruited by the PKK terror group were forced to continue a protest at a hotel because of a full lockdown in Turkey.

Mothers and fathers continued their sit-in protest for a 606 straight day against the PKK terror group and the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) in southeastern Diyarbakir at a hotel where they are lodged.

The protest began Sept. 3, 2019, when three mothers said their children had been forcibly recruited by PKK terrorists. The sit-in outside the offices of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), which the government accuses of having links to the PKK, has been growing since in Diyarbakir province.

“The 17-day full lockdown has begun. This does not affect us, we struggled rain or shine. We continue our protest in our homes and at the hotel,” said Aysegul Bicer, whose son was abducted by the PKK terror group. “The HDP ignored these mothers and fathers, who had been crying out in front of the Diyarbakır HDP provincial building for 606 days.”

Suleyman Aydin, a father in the protest said, “May Allah bless our state, they saved our 25th child from the oppressors. It was a great hope for all of us, we are very happy.”

“We have shown the HDP's inner face to the whole of Turkey, and we will continue to do so. The HDP is a party that supports the terrorist organization,” he added.

A 17-day full lockdown began in Turkey on April 29 to stem the spread of the coronavirus and will last until May 17.

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 at least 40,000 people, including women, children and infants.