2 more families join anti-PKK sit-in in southeastern Türkiye

DIYARBAKIR, Türkiye

A sit-in in Türkiye’s southeastern Diyarbakir province continues to grow as two more families joined the protest against the PKK terror group.

Since Sept. 3, 2019, the protesting families have been camping outside the offices of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), a party the Turkish government says has links to the PKK.

Filiz Bozkurt from the Midyat district of Mardin province came for her sister Saime, who was tricked at the age of 19 and taken to the mountains in 1993.

Bozkurt urged her sister to surrender to Turkish security forces. “Please return home if you can hear my voice. Our mother died longing to see you,” she said.

Musa Abali from Van province came for his 17-year-old daughter, Ebru, who was abducted and taken to the mountains in 2015.

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

The protest has borne fruit as dozens of children forcibly abducted or recruited by the terror group fled the PKK and reunited with their families.

• Diyarbakir
• Peoples’ Democratic Party