The sit-in protest by Kurdish families demanding the return of their children abducted by the PKK entered the 29th day yesterday.
The families are protesting in front of the Diyarbakır headquarters of the pro-PKK Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP).
Sevdet Demir, one of the mother's attending the protests, said her son, Fatih was abducted by the PKK in 2015. In an appeal to her son, she said: "They are not for us, son. When you get the opportunity, run away and come back."
Halime Şehitoğlu, whose nephew was abducted by PKK from Diyarbakır's Lice district in 2015, said she has always expected her nephew to return.
Şevket Altıntaş, one of the fathers at the protests, said his son, Müslüm was abducted by the PKK from the Pülümür district of eastern Turkey's Tunceli in 2015. "Not in 28 days, even if 28 year passes, we will not give up until they return," he said Monday.
The HDP, long facing public reaction and judicial probes over its ties to the PKK, is under pressure due to the growing civilian protest movement launched by mothers and local families.
The sit-in has continued since Sept. 3, with 54 families currently protesting, including five Iranian families whose children were abducted by the PKK's Iranian wing, the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK).
The protest was started by Hacire Akar in front of the HDP provincial office in Diyarbakır last month. Akar demanded the return of her 21-year-old son, Mehmet Akar, who had been missing for three days after he was abducted by the PKK terrorist group. Following her sit-in and with the help of the security forces in Diyarbakır, Akar was finally reunited with her son.
