Turkey: Sit-in protest against PKK enters day 445

By Osman Bilgin

DIYARBAKIR, Turkey (AA) - A sit-in protest by families whose children have been kidnapped by YPG/PKK terrorists entered its 445th day on Friday.

The protest began on Sept. 3 last year in the southeastern Turkish city of Diyarbakir, when three mothers -- Fevziye Cetinkaya, Remziye Akkoyun, and Aysegul Bicer -- 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 YPG/PKK terror group -- has been growing every day.

The grieving families have vowed to continue the protest until every family is reunited with their children.

Aydan Arslan, a mother, joined the protest for her kidnapped daughter Aysun.

"We will continue our protest until our children come back. We want our children back from HDP,” Arslan said.

Reminding that at least 20 children surrendered to security forces as a result of the protest, she called on her daughter to turn herself in and become the 21st.

Saadet Odumlu, whose son Yusuf was recruited six years ago when he was 16, said she will continue the sit-in until they reunite with her son.

"I hope we will have our children back and we go home in a short time,” Odumlu added.

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