Protest against PKK terror group continues in southeastern Turkey

DIYARBAKIR, Turkey

Families whose children have been abducted or forcibly recruited by the PKK terror group continued their protest in southeastern Turkey on Sunday.

Since Sept. 3, 2019, families have been camped for 762 days outside the Diyarbakir offices of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), a party the Turkish government says has links with the PKK.

Demonstrations have since spread to other provinces including Van, Mus, Sirnak, and Hakkari.

Necibe Ciftci came from Hakkari’s Semdinli district to join the protest, hoping to get back her son Rosat, who was abducted by the terror group six years ago at the age of 16.

She said the PKK also murdered her elder son and husband Sami Ciftci because they refused to support the terrorist organization.

“My son, the HDP deceived you and handed you over to the PKK. Come back now, enough is enough,” she said.

Yusuf Erdinc, another protester, said he was at the sit-in for his son Mikail.

The family has had no contact with Mikail since 2015, when he vanished while studying law at the Marmara University.

“I went to the HDP headquarters with my wife. The beat us and pushed us down the stairs,” said Erdinc, who hails from Van’s Gurpinar district.

“Since 2015, I have refused to give up hope of seeing my son again, and I don’t intend to give up now,” he added, urging Mikail to surrender to Turkish security forces.

In Turkey, offenders linked to terrorist groups are eligible for possible sentence reductions under a repentance law, if they surrender.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK – listed as a terrorist group by Turkey, the US, and the EU – has been responsible for the deaths of at least 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants.

*Writing by Merve Berker