Turkey: Another family joins sit-in against YPG/PKK

DIYARBAKIR, Turkey

Another family on Thursday joined an ongoing protest by families in southeastern Turkey against YPG/PKK terrorists.

The protest started in September in Diyarbakir province when a mother, Fevziye Cetinkaya, said her underage son had been forcibly recruited by YPG/PKK terrorists with the help of members of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), a party accused by the government of having links to the terrorist group.

Since then, the number of protesting families has been growing, as they demand the return of their children, who, they say, were deceived or kidnapped by PKK terrorists.

Mehmet Aytekin came from eastern Elazig province in the hope to find his brother Huseyin Aytekin, who was kidnapped four years ago.

“I don't think he went of his own free will. We spoke four months after he left. He didn't say where he was, just said he was alright. After that, we never met again,” Mehmet Aytekin told Anadolu Agency.

Mehmet Aytekin joined the protest at its 80th day.

He said: “So many young people are dying in the mountains and in Syria for nothing. Not only my brother, but lots of young people are in this situation. I want my brother back.”

Fatma Bingol is a mother who joined the protest for her son, Tuncay Bingol, who was kidnapped by PKK terrorists five years ago when he was 14 years old.

“We've been here for 80 days. We are anxiously waiting for our children. What happened to our children? We don't know if they're alive or dead,” Fatma Bingol said.

“I call on all the other parents; support us and raise voice for us. Everybody must defend their own rights. They should also come here to fight and ask for their own children. They should not be afraid of anything,” she added.

In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and EU -- has been responsible for deaths of 40,000 people, including women, children and infants. The YPG is the PKK’s Syrian offshoot.

* Writing by Erdogan Cagatay Zontur