Turkey: Mothers’ sit-in against YPG/PKK enters 79th day

By Sukru Gunduz and Ahmet Kaplan

DIYARBAKIR, Turkey (AA) - A protest held by dozens of families in southeastern Turkey against YPG/PKK terrorists connected to an opposition party on Wednesday entered its 79th day.

The protest started in September in Diyarbakir when a mother, Fevziye Cetinkaya, said her underage son had been forcibly recruited by YPG/PKK terrorists with the help of members of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), a party accused by the government of having links to the terrorist group.

Since then, the number of protesting families has been growing, as they demand the return of their children, who, they say, were deceived or kidnapped by PKK terrorists.

Suheyla Demir came from eastern Agri province in hope to find her daughter Hayal who was kidnapped five years ago when she was only 17 years old.

"We can wait here for our children even for 79 years. We left everything behind to be able to find our children," she said.

Celil Begdas is also among the protesting parents, waiting to find his 16-year-old son.

He stressed that the PKK terror group kidnaps only poor family children. "All parents here are waiting for their children. There is no wealthy family here and no one will leave until our children are brought back to us," he added.

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

* Writing by Sibel Morrow