Another Kurdish family joins anti-PKK sit-in protest in Diyarbakır
- Türkiye
- Anadolu Agency
- Published Date: 05:41 | 28 February 2020
- Modified Date: 05:41 | 28 February 2020
Another family joined a months-long sit-in protest against the YPG/PKK terror group's child recruitment in southeastern Turkey.
On its 179th day, Mehmet Halil Eliçümüş joined the protests staged outside the Diyarbakır office of the People's Democratic Party (HDP), a political party accused by the government of having links to the terrorist organization YPG/PKK.
Father Eliçümüş claimed that his 19-year-old son was deceived by the terror group in Istanbul where he had gone for employment purpose. He said his son Ramazan was later kidnapped in southeastern Şırnak province six months ago.
"I want my son back from HDP. I will not leave here without my son," Eliçümüş said, adding that he is determined to protest until he reunites with his son.
The protest started on Sept. 3 outside the offices of HDP in Diyarbakir when Fevziye Çetinkaya, Remziye Akkoyun, and Ayşegül Biçer said their children had been forcibly recruited by PKK terrorists.
Since then, the number of families protesting in front of the building, and demanding the return of their children -- whom they claim were deceived or kidnapped by the terror group -- has been rising.
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 the deaths of 40,000 people, including women, children and infants. The YPG is the PKK's Syrian offshoot.