Parents protesting their children's abduction by the PKK terrorist organization hope to reunite with their children in 2022 as they continue their demonstration outside the pro-PKK Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) headquarters in Turkey's southeastern Diyarbakır province.
Starting on Sept. 3, 2019, the families have camped for 851 days and demonstrations have since spread to other provinces including Van, Muş, Şırnak and Hakkari.
With the latest additions, the number of protesting families has risen to 251.
The protest started when Hacire Akar turned up on the doorstep of the HDP’s Diyarbakır office one night, demanding to be reunited with her son. Akar’s son Mehmet returned home on Aug. 24, 2019, giving hope to other families. A week later, on Sept. 3, 2019, families inspired by Akar staged a collective sit-in protest.
Fadime Aksu, one of the mothers at the sit-in, said she joined the protest for her son, Eren Yalçın, who was kidnapped by the terror group seven years ago when he was just 17 years old.
Stating that both PKK and HDP have turned a deaf ear to their protest, she said: "Our expectation from the new year is to reunite with our children."
"It will be our happiest day when all mothers and fathers get back their beloved children," she stated, calling on her son to surrender to security forces.
"I no longer have the strength to hold on. We will not leave this place until all the parents reunite with their children," she added.
Hatice Levent, another protesting mother, said she joined the anti-terror sit-in for her daughter, Fadime, who was deceived and taken by the terrorist group six years ago at the age of 18.
Noting that she came all the way from Turkey's western province of Kütahya, Levent said she will keep protesting until she takes her daughter back from the terrorists.
"We are raising our voice here as mothers and fathers," she said. "My child, your place is with us. We will not leave you even if 70 years pass on."
"I want to spend 2022 with Fadime. I hope that all the children return," she added.
Seyfetullah Taşkın has been protesting for his son, Macit, who went missing from the capital Ankara seven years ago.
"My son was deceived by the HDP while working at the printing house," said Taşkın.
"I hope the families here and I will reunite with our children, and 2022 will be a year with good news for us. Son, don't upset your brothers, they can't stand your pain."
Ekrem Gökkuş, another protesting father, said that his son was kidnapped from the Güroymak district of eastern Bitlis province seven years ago at the age of 12. He expressed his hope that he will receive good news from his son in the new year.
The father, who said that he wanted to get back his child as soon as possible, said: "We haven't heard from him for seven years. We don't know if he's dead or alive. My son, come, surrender to the security forces, let's celebrate the new year."
Families have not given up their posts despite difficult conditions, at times being threatened or ridiculed by HDP officials and those with links to the PKK terrorist organization. The protest continued despite the coronavirus pandemic, with the families taking the necessary precautions.
A significant number of suspected terrorists have begun to flee the PKK and surrender, but many lack the courage to leave the group out of fear of severe punishment if caught.
The HDP, long facing public scrutiny and judicial probes over its ties to the PKK, is under pressure from the growing civilian movement. Various groups from around Turkey have supported the Kurdish mothers in their cause, with many paying visits to the protests to show their solidarity.
In Turkey, offenders linked to terrorist groups are eligible for possible sentence reductions under a repentance law, if they surrender.
PKK communication ban
The families' protest in Diyarbakır puts psychological pressure on PKK members to return home, thus the terrorist group has banned members from using devices to communicate to prevent desertion.
According to Interior Ministry sources who spoke to Anadolu Agency (AA), the mothers' calls and Turkey’s successful counterterrorism operations have raised concerns within the PKK, whose numbers have reached record lows.
The sources added that the PKK forces its members to state that they joined the group at their own discretion on video and to encourage others to join.