Hoping to reunite with their children in the new year, families continued their protest in southeastern Turkey against the abduction and forcible recruitment by the PKK terror group.
Since Sept. 3, 2019, families have camped for 851 days outside the Diyarbakır offices of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), a party the Turkish government says has links with the PKK.
Demonstrations have since spread to other provinces including Van, Muş, Şırnak, and Hakkari.
With the latest additions, the number of protesting families has risen to 251.
Fadime Aksu, one of the mothers at the sit-in, said she joined the protest for her son, Eren Yalçın, who was kidnapped by the terror group seven years ago when he was just 17 years old.
Stating that both PKK and HDP have turned a deaf ear to their protest, she said: "Our expectation from the new year is to reunite with our children."
"It will be our happiest day when all mothers and fathers get back their beloved children," she stated, calling on her son to surrender to security forces.
"I have no longer the strength to hold on. We will not leave this place until all the parents reunite with their children," she added.
Hatice Levent, another protesting mother, said she is part of the anti-terror sit-in for her daughter, Fadime, who was deceived and taken by the terror group six years ago at the age of 18.
Noting that she came all the way from Turkey's western province of Kütahya, Levent said she will keep protesting until she takes her daughter back from the terrorists.
"We are raising our voice here as mothers and fathers," she said. "My child, your place is with us. We will not leave you even if 70 years pass on."
"I want to spend 2022 with Fadime. I hope that all the children return," she added.
Seyfetullah Taşkın has been protesting for his son, Macit, who went missing from the capital Ankara seven years ago.
"My son was deceived by the HDP while working at the printing house," said Taskin.
"I hope the families here and I will reunite with our children, and 2022 will be a year with good news for us. Son, don't upset your brothers, they can't stand your pain."
Ekrem Gökkuş, another protesting father said that her son was kidnapped from the Güroymak district of eastern Bitlis province seven years ago at the age of 12, expressing his hope to receive good news from his son in the new year.
The father, who said that he wanted to get back to his child as soon as possible, said: "We haven't heard from him for seven years. We don't know if he's dead or alive. My son, come, surrender to the security forces, let's celebrate the new year."
In Turkey, offenders linked to terrorist groups are eligible for possible sentence reductions under a repentance law, if they surrender.
In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK-listed as a terrorist group by Turkey, the US, and the EU, has been responsible for the deaths of at least 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants.
