UPDATE - Another mother joins anti-PKK sit-in protests

- ADDS PROTESTS IN SIRNAK PROVINCE

By Hasan Namli and Ekrem Payan

DIYARBAKIR/SIRNAK, Turkey (AA) - Another family on Thursday joined the ongoing sit-in protest against the PKK terror group in Turkey’s southeastern Diyarbakir province, demanding the return of their abducted son.

The protest began on Sept. 3, 2019 in the city of Diyarbakir, when three mothers said their children had been forcibly recruited by YPG/PKK terrorists.

The sit-in outside the office of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) -- which the government accuses of having links to the terrorist YPG/PKK -- has been growing every day.

Fehime Tutmus, whose son was abducted by the terror group six years ago when he was 22 years old, joined the sit-in protest on its 444th day.

Tutmus, who came from the eastern province of Bitlis to join the protest, said: "They deceived my son, the Peoples' Democratic Party took away my son."

“I saw that children of some protesting families are returning. I cry day and night,” she added.

Sedrettin Tutmus, brother of Abdurrahim, said he would not leave the protest until he got back his brother.

He called on his brother to surrender to the security forces.

Separately, a group of women whose children were kidnapped by PKK terrorists and taken to the mountains, and those who lost family members in terror attacks, marched to the HDP building in southeastern Sirnak province.

They blame the HDP for playing a role in the abductions. The Turkish government also accuses the party of having links to the terror group.

The women carried signs that read: “No passage for terror” and chanted against the terror group and the HDP.

Emine Ustek said her son, Metin, was forcibly kidnapped to the mountain five years ago.

Ustun vowed to continue protesting every Thursday to demand the return of his son from the HDP.

”My child was going to school. While waiting for my son to become a teacher, members of the organization took him from me,” she said.

In its more than 30-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 some 40,000 people, including women, children and infants.

*Writing by Gozde Bayar