Turkey: Families protesting YPG/PKK for over 120 days

DIYARBAKIR, Turkey 

On its 124th day, many families took part in an ongoing months-long sit-in protest outside the provincial office of a political party in southeastern Turkey against the YPG/PKK terrorist group. 

Dozens of mothers started the protest on Sept. 3 outside the Diyarbakir offices of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), a party accused by the government of having links to the terrorist YPG/PKK, when Fevziye Cetinkaya, Remziye Akkoyun, and Aysegul Bicer said their children had been forcibly recruited by PKK terrorists.  

Since then, the number of families in front of the building is growing as they demand the return of their children, who, they claim, were deceived or kidnapped by terrorists.

Yildiz Balli, who joined the protests from the central Konya province, said the families are determined to continue the protest. 

They will not leave although it is winter and cold outside.

Her daughter Yasemin was taken away six years ago, Balli said, and that she smells her daughter's shirt everyday.

"I can't stand it anymore, let them give me my child. I want mine and all the mothers' children to come back," she said.

Fahrettin Akkus, a father protesting for the return of his son, Erkan, said that no statements were made yet by the HDP. 

Akkus claimed that the top management of the political party, as well as its' deputies escape meeting him.

"This isn't gonna work. You can't save yourself by escaping," he said.

He said the families "cry day and night" for their children.

"We won't leave even if it takes 124 years," Akkus said, adding that the families have not grown up their children for the terrorists.

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 the deaths of 40,000 people, including women, children and infants. The YPG is the PKK's Syrian offshoot.   

* Writing by Jeyhun Aliyev