Families of children abducted or forcibly recruited by the YPG/PKK terror group continue their sit-in protest in Turkey's southeastern Diyarbakir province, calling on their sons and daughters to lay down arms and surrender to authorities.
The protest began on Sept. 3, 2019, in Diyarbakir province 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 YPG/PKK, has been growing every day.
Solmaz Ovunc, a mother from the eastern Van province, joined the protest for her son Baran who was kidnapped five years ago by the PKK when he was 15 years old.
Ovunc said she would continue to protest despite the pandemic and cold weather.
"Even if it snows, I won't leave without my son. They need to bring back my son just as they took him away. Let them get their dirty hands off of us. What do they want from the children of the poor?" Ovunc said.
She called on her son to surrender to security forces.
The son of Cennet Kabakli, another mother who joined the protest, was kidnapped by the PKK six years ago.
Kabakli said her son was kidnapped when he was on his way to surrender.
"What was my son guilty of? I want my son back from the terrorist PKK [...] I'll continue my protest until I get my son back," Kabakli 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 40,000 people including women, children and infants. The YPG is the PKK’s Syrian offshoot.
*Writing by Dilara Hamit in Ankara
