Turkey: Families protesting PKK seek global support

DIYARBAKIR, Turkey

Families, who claim their children were abducted by PKK terror group through an opposition political party have sought international help.

Accusing Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) of the abduction of their children, families had started a sit-in protest, outside the HDP’s provincial office in southeastern Diyarbakir on Sept 3. The Turkish government also accuses the HDP of having links to the YPG/PKK terror group.

The abducted children were forced to join PKK’s Syrian offshoot YPG.

While sitting outside the HDP office, families asked Europe, the U.S., and Russia, to end their support to the terror groups and help in bringing back their children.

Suleyman Aydin, a father protesting along with other families, told Anadolu Agency that his teenage son was abducted four years ago. He said he will continue to protest until he gets his son back.

“The HDP is taking our children away from us. Why they do not hear our voice? “asked Aydin, referring to the U.S., Russia and Europe.

He said that the HDP is representing the terror group and side with PKK.

Aydin also slammed invitation by some members of the U.S. Congress to Ferhat Abdi Sahin, codenamed Mazloum Kobani, to their country, and said: “He is a PKK member. The murderer of thousands of kids and youth.”

Accusing Washington of supporting the terror group, he said the groups get encouraged to kidnap children.

“If being Kurd is abducting a 15-year-old child to mountains, I do not want it. If the U.S. is really defending Kurds, then it should support us,” he said, adding that the children could come back with a single statement by the U.S.

Kidnapped children land in lap of terrorists

Aysegul Bicer, a mother of a 17-year old boy, kidnapped in similar circumstances, said she has learned that her son is in the hands of YPG in Syria. She is also part of the protest in Diyarbakir.

“PKK, YPG and YPJ [the terrorist group’s women branch] all of them are the same. None of them has to do anything with Kurds. I am a Kurd too, but I do not support terror groups. I condemn their acts,” Bicer said.

Stressing that the U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim that PKK is Kurd, Bicer emphasized that they are not Kurds. She asked Washington not to play games in the name of Kurds.

Fatma Bingol, another mother whose son was kidnapped five years ago at the age of 14, said she also learned that her son was forced to join the terror group in Syria.

“They are hiding behind our children and sacrifice them. No one has the right to do that. We want our children back,” Bingol said.

Noting that the YPG cannot be the defender of Kurds’ rights, she added: “It is not about Kurds’ rights, it is becoming the slave of the U.S. My child cannot defend the rights of the Kurds by being a slave of the U.S.”

Remziye Akkoyun, another protesting mother, said that she learned her son --who was kidnapped at the age of 10 -- is in Syria. She has got his photographs, he had sent it to her phone.

“They sent my child to fight in Syria. I want him to abandon the arms,” Akkoyun said, noting that she will continue to protest until her child returns.

On Aug 22, a Kurdish mother Hacire Akar staged a protest near the same HDP office, claiming that her 21-year-old son was taken to the mountains by the YPG/PKK terrorists after being brainwashed by the opposition political party members.

A few days later, her son returned, giving hope to a number of families that they may reunite with their children.

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