Colloquially known as “Diyarbakır Mothers,” women protesting the PKK, which brainwashed their children to join the terrorist group, marked seven years of their sit-in in southeastern Türkiye on Wednesday.
The protest later spread to other cities, but the largest demonstration remained where it began, outside the local offices of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP). The HDP is linked to the PKK, and the mothers say the party helped the terrorist group reach their children. The HDP later dissolved and evolved into the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM), now part of the terror-free Türkiye initiative, which aims to support the PKK’s disarmament.
Over time, fathers also joined the protest. Süleyman Aydın is one of them. Speaking to Demirören News Agency (DHA) on Wednesday, Aydın said the “peace process” reflected the commitment of the Diyarbakır Mothers.
“Our persistence will continue,” he vowed.
The protests, carried out alternately by 384 families, have so far reunited 62 families with their children. On the anniversary of the sit-in, families reiterated their call for their children to return.
Aydın’s son, Özkan, was 15 when the PKK recruited him. “The terrorist group tricked him and kidnapped him. The PKK not only harms Turks but also Kurds and Alevis,” he said, referring to two communities the group sought to exploit for new recruits. Aydın added that if the PKK is sincere about disarmament, it should allow its recruits to return home.
