Berlin: Mother seeks Merkel's help to rescue daughter

BERLIN

Protesting in front of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s office in Berlin, a Turkish mother on Wednesday pleaded for help in rescuing her daughter from PKK terrorists.

Maide T. – from a Turkish immigrant family in Germany – said her daughter Nilufer had been forcibly recruited by the terrorist group in Germany and unfurled a banner asking for her daughter to be rescued.

The protest – the latest in a series – was held during a Cabinet meeting chaired by Merkel.

During a protest in May, Maide told reporters she has been protesting for months – currently over three months – but German authorities have not contacted her so far.

Today she said that over time more people have started to join her protests, which pleased her, but also that the coronavirus pandemic had kept the numbers lower than they could be.

She said that despite the terror group’s claims, the PKK does not represent Kurds, but in fact cause the deaths of many of them, including young people.

"How many people have died up till now?” she asked. “If the PKK had represented the Kurds, it would not cause any deaths of young people."

Maide T. also said she was grateful for messages of support from a group of mothers in Diyarbakir, southeastern Turkey, also demonstrating for their children’s return.

Since last September, families have been protesting outside the Diyarbakir offices of the HDP, a party accused by Turkey of having links to the terrorist PKK.

Nilufer T. has been missing since Nov. 12, after she said she was going to school.

In addition to Merkel’s office, Maide has demonstrated in front of the Brandenburg Gate, parliament, and a group accused of links to the PKK.

In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the US, and EU – has been responsible for the deaths of 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants.

Despite the PKK being officially banned, Turkey has complained that the German government lets the terrorist group and its affiliates recruit and spread propaganda without hindrance.