More Kurdish families join anti-PKK sit-in protest in Diyarbakır

Families of children abducted or forcibly recruited by the PKK terror group continue their sit-in protest in Turkey's southeastern Diyarbakır province, calling on their sons and daughters to lay down arms and surrender to authorities.

The protest began on Sept. 3, 2019, in Diyarbakır province when three mothers said their children had been forcibly recruited by the PKK terrorists. The sit-in outside the office of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), which the government accuses of having links to the PKK, has been growing every day.

Solmaz Övünç, a mother from the eastern Van province, joined the protest for her son Baran who was kidnapped five years ago by the PKK when he was 15 years old.

Övünç said she would continue to protest despite the pandemic and cold weather.

"Even if it snows, I won't leave without my son. They need to bring back my son just as they took him away. Let them get their dirty hands off of us. What do they want from the children of the poor?" Övünç said.

She called on her son to surrender to security forces.

The son of Cennet Kabaklı, another mother who joined the protest, was kidnapped by the PKK six years ago.

Kabaklı said her son was kidnapped when he was on his way to surrender.

"What was my son guilty of? I want my son back from the terrorist PKK [...] I'll continue my protest until I get my son back," Kabaklı said.

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