Senior MEP visits protesting mothers in SE Turkey

DIYARBAKIR, Turkey

A senior member of the European Parliament visited Thursday the mothers protesting in southeastern Turkey seeking the return of their children abducted by the PKK terror group.

Czech politician Tomas Zdechovsky visited families who have been staging a sit-in protest outside provincial office of opposition Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), accused by the Turkish government of having links to the YPG/PKK terror group, and voiced his support.

Aysegul Bicer, one of the mothers, told Zdechovsky that they started the protest to take their children back from the hands of the terror group.

“We are here to stop the bloodshed of 40 years. We want support from the European countries,” Bicer said.

In a response, Zdechovsky said: “We never ever will discuss with someone who is using guns. Never ever. This is why I am here and I want to speak with you about these humanitarian issues.”

He added that in every case a peaceful solution should be found.

Suleyman Aydin, protesting along with other families, said his teenage son was abducted four years ago and recalled that the protest has been ongoing for 66 days.

Aydin asked the European Union to not support the YPG/PKK terror group.

“We will never support a terrorist organization and the PKK is on the blacklist,” Zdechovsky replied.

“With terrorists we do not have any dialogue. If somebody wants a dialogue, he has to take his gun down,” he added.

Aydin said he saw on TV that police officers in Europe seem to protect terror supporters in pro-PKK demonstrations, and added: “If the EU really care about human rights, then where are the human rights when the PKK kidnapped my 15-year-old child?

“This is why I’m here and this is why I want to support you in this time. I want to support the peaceful protest here, in Turkey,” Zdechovsky said.

“Europe should stop protecting the PKK,” Aydin said, demanding their support.

“I will pray for you and for your children. I hope that sometime I will come and we will celebrate the return of your children,” Zdechovsky told families.

Mothers in Diyarbakir province started the sit-in protest on Sept. 3 after a mother, Fevziye Cetinkaya, said her 17-year-old son was forcibly recruited by the YPG/PKK through members of the HDP.

Since then, the number of protesting families has been growing as they demand the return of their children, who, they claim, were deceived or kidnapped by the YPG/PKK terrorists.

In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the European Union -- has been responsible for deaths of 40,000 people, including women, children and infants. The YPG is the Syrian offshoot of the PKK.

*Writing by Sena Guler