Some lost their next of kin to acts of terrorism by the PKK, others had their children lured into joining the group. Their hope, however, is common: the campaign of violence that has lingered since the 1980s will finally come to an end.
As the PKK formally announced on Monday that it would dissolve, it is deemed good news for millions in Türkiye. Among them were the Diyarbakır Mothers, a group of demonstrators who have been staging a sit-in in the eponymous Turkish province for years for the return of their sons and daughters brainwashed to join the PKK.
Hours after the PKK announced the decision, families gathered outside an office in Diyarbakır, many with tears in their eyes and photos in their hands.
Some talked about the chances for peace, but many had more pressing personal concerns – the children and other loved ones who had left to join the PKK over the decades, whom they hoped and prayed might now be able to come home.
"I haven't seen my son in 10 years," said Sevgi Cagmar, whose son was 19 when he joined the PKK. "I stayed awake for nights waiting for this news. If he comes back, the world will be mine."
Cagmar joined scores of other relatives waiting for news at the office run by the pro-PKK Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party).
All held out the hope that their relatives and friends would return – families usually get information if someone has died.
Hatice Levent clutched an image of her daughter Fadime, who she believes joined the PKK 11 years ago when she was a university student. She accused the DEM Party of helping to arrange her daughter's departure.
"They stole her dreams, our future. I just want to hug her again. I'm waiting with open arms," Levent said. She thanked President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for launching what she hopes is a final effort.
"This must end. Soldiers, police, the ones in the mountains – all of them are our children," said Sultan Guger, whose son joined the PKK 10 years ago. "Brother has killed brother. We don't want any more pain."
Ayten Elhaman, who looks forward to reuniting with his son, Bayram, with whom he lost contact seven years ago after he was tricked into joining the PKK. “I have been here for six years now. We never gave up. The PKK decided to lay down arms. By God’s will, our children will return and we won’t cry any longer. This is the victory of mothers here, this is the victory of Türkiye,” she said.
Süleyman Aydın, who awaits reuniting with his son Özkan, joined the mothers’ hopeful statements. “We are grateful to the president and Mr. Bahçeli for launching this initiative,” he said, referring to the leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), architect of the plan to end PKK terrorism.
Ibrahim Taşdemir lost his son in 2017 in Diyarbakır, and despite his loss, he endorses the terror-free initiative. Ahmet Alp Taşdemir was a Special Operations police officer when he was killed by the terrorist group in a confrontation. “The process should be sustained in a smart, cautious way. We only want an end to the suffering of families; we want no children to be left orphaned any longer. Today is a day of unity,” he told the Ihlas News Agency (IHA) on Tuesday.
Another supporter of the initiative is the Aykut family, who lost 28 members in a PKK attack 34 years ago. Speaking on behalf of the family, Halil Aykut thanked Erdoğan and Bahçeli for the initiative. “They played a critical role in ending the trouble of terrorism. We wish our future generations will live in peace and our region will never be overshadowed by terrorism,” Aykut, whose relatives were slaughtered in a village raid by the PKK in the southeastern province of Hakkari’s Yüksekova district.
