“I Want My Son and I Want Peace”

Families saying PKK took their children to the mountains have been conducting a sitting protest in front of Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality. 

Along with families who joined later, 12 families currently take part in the effort, and have put up banners that read, “They’re only 15, we want our children back no matter what.”

Prime Minister Erdoğan requested the People’s Democratic Party (HDP) to mediate. Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) Diyarbakır Provincial Headquarters drew attention to a deadlock in the solution process, and the People’s Defense Force (HPG) stated they are not forcing anyone into becoming guerillas.

“Went from the picnic to the mountain”

Father Selami Eren wants PKK to release his son, and added “If need be, I’ll go and get him myself.” 

“The children had gone on a picnic to the Lice country side to where the caves are on April 23, 2014. Apparently there they came across PKK guerillas who talked with them and caused agitation. And then I’m told my son, influenced by the propaganda, went with them. My son is 15 years old after all; he has this desire to be accepted, to belong someplace. That’s why he went.

“We want peace in the country, peace, trust and no more deaths in these blood-soaked lands. I want my son, along with peace. Either a committee goes there or PKK can come deliver the kid to the doorstep if they want. If need be, I’ll go and get him myself.

“They forgot about this place when the funerals stopped coming”

“The country forgot about this because the west stopped getting funerals. Nonetheless, mothers in the east keep on crying. We feel extremely happy because funerals don’t come anymore. We hope we don’t ever get any again. Because if you take a look, there seem to be some attempts to disrupt the peace process. Let’s get hand in hand, mothers in the west and the east, and stand tall in front of whomever is obstructing this peace.”

Erdoğan calls out to HDP

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan called out to BDP and HDP in today’s group meeting saying, “You know how time and again you go and settle things and bring them back and come back? Now go and find these mothers’ children. You’re going to go and get them, if you don’t go and get them, our plan B, our plan C will come into play.”

On the other end, a short tension occurred today as well due to an argument the Çetiner family from Lice had amongst party members in the BDP Provincial building. 

BDP: It doesn’t have anything to do with us

BDP Diyarbakır Provincial Headquarters reprimanded those who tried to enter the province building today and stated in their written declaration that BDP has nothing to do with their joining the guerilla. 

They also suggested that the government has been provoking the families when they need to look into the reasons for the increase in guerilla recruitment and effect the legal regulations for the solution process to develop as soon as possible. 

HPG Midfield Command expressed in their declaration that everybody joins the PKK voluntarily. 

They asserted that the age limit has been set based on agreements with international institutions, and claimed to have sent some recruits back and to have declined to send some under the age limit into combat (NV/PU/BM)

* We took BDP Diyarbakır and HPG’s declarations from Fırat News Agency (ANF).

* Click here to read the article in Turkish.