Diyarbakir sit-in mothers express grief over loss of 12 Turkish soldiers in PKK attacks

DIYARBAKIR, Türkiye

A group of mothers in southeastern Türkiye, who are holding a protest in front of the People’s Democratic Party (HDP) provincial headquarters for their children kidnapped by the terrorist PKK, expressed sorrow on Monday over 12 soldiers recently killed in PKK terrorist attacks, standing in full support for anti-terrorist military operations.

The sit-in protest initiated by families holding the HDP responsible for the abduction of their children has so far gone on for 1,576 days, or over four years.

The families, waiting with Turkish flags for their children, expressed their sorrow for the Turkish soldiers who were killed in clashes with terrorists trying to infiltrate the Operation Claw-Lock base area in northern Iraq.

Aysegul Bicer, who was earlier reunited with her son thanks to the sit-in protest, said in a statement on behalf of the families: "We feel the sorrow of losing 12 children due to the terrorist group's attacks. We stand by our soldiers and fully support the operations being carried out."

Nazli Sancar, another mother taking part in the sit-in, also expressed great sadness over the fallen soldiers.

Sancar said, referring to suspected links between the party and the terror group: "We’ve been fighting for our children here for years. We want our rightfully deserved children. We’re not leaving here; we’re not leaving our children to the HDP and PKK."

The protest has been going on since 2019 outside the offices of the HDP in Diyarbakir.

Since Sept. 3, 2019, the protesting families have been camping outside regional offices of the HDP, a party the Turkish government says has links to the PKK.

Since the PKK terrorist attacks last week, which killed 12 soldiers, Turkish airstrikes have destroyed dozens of terror targets in northern Iraq and Syria, neutralizing many terrorists.

Following the terrorist attack in northern Iraq, Türkiye reaffirmed its determination to fight and eliminate terrorism at its source.

PKK terrorists often hide in northern Iraq to plot cross-border attacks in Türkiye. It also has a Syrian branch, known as the YPG.

Türkiye launched Operation Claw-Lock in April 2022 to target the PKK terror group’s hideouts in the Metina, Zap, and Avasin-Basyan regions of northern Iraq, located near the Turkish border.

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

*Writing by Alperen Aktas from Istanbul