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Kurdish mothers continue their sit-in against PKK's child recruitment

The number of Kurdish families holding sit-in protest in front of the opposition HDP headquarters has been growing [since the protest started on Sept. 3 in Diyarbakır] as the mothers demand the return of their children, who were deceived or kidnapped by bloody-minded the PKK terror group.

Anadolu Agency TÜRKIYE
Published October 30,2019
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Dozens of Kurdish families have been staging a sit-in protest against the PKK terror group in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır outside the provincial office of the opposition HDP that was accused of having links to the PKK terror group.

The protest started on Sept. 3 in Diyarbakır after a mother, Fevziye Çetinkaya, said her 17-year-old son was forcibly recruited by the PKK through members of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP).

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

Hüsniye Kaya, mother of 14-years-old Mekiye, said her daughter was kidnapped 5 years ago. Speaking in Kurdish, she said she was determined to continue the sit-in in front of the HDP's office. "Even if it rains or snows, we will not go anywhere," she told Anadolu Agency.

"I came here to meet my daughter. HDP took our children. This is why we're here, in front of HDP," she added.

Sevdet Demir, 55, mother of Fatih -- who has been lost for 4 years -- said his son was abducted in Hani district of Diyarbakır, where he was working at a bakery.

"We went to Iraq, Syria in search for him. But we couldn't find him, and eventually came here," she said, and added: "I won't leave until he is back".

Şevket Altıntaş said that his son Müslüm was kidnapped by PKK terrorists in southeastern Tunceli province on Oct. 2, 2015, while on his way to do his military service.

"We are waiting for celebrities to come here to support us," he said.

Meanwhile, a tent was set up for Diyarbakır mothers as the winter arrives.

In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the European Union -- has been responsible for deaths of 40,000 people, including women, children and infants.