Hacire Akar, a mother from Diyarbakır, is the symbol of a new protest movement against the PKK terrorist organization and the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) in Turkey. According to the mother’s claim, her 22-year-old son Mehmet, despite showing no sympathy for the PKK, was taken to the HDP building by some of his friends and subsequently joined the PKK. She accused the HDP of being responsible for this and started a sit-in in front of the HDP party building. Hacire’s sit-in protests was successful and her son Mehmet was reunited with his family 4 days later. Hacire’s bold effort set an example and encouraged families whose children were kidnapped by the PKK.
The number of families participating in the protests has increased day by day and the protest has been going on for 417 days, therefore 154 families are currently sitting-in protests and 19 families have reached their children so far. The Çetinkaya family is looking for their 18-year-old son Süleyman, who went missing on Aug. 30. The Akkoyun family is looking for their 14-year-old son Azad, who has been missing for four years. Similarly, the Kaya family from Muş is looking for their 28-year-old son Vedat, who was also a police officer and was kidnapped by the PKK. Most of the families participating in the protest say that they last saw their children in the HDP building and accuse the
HDP because of the PKK kidnapping of their children. “We have not raised our children for the PKK,” the families said. Hüsniye Kaya, who participated in a sit-in for her daughter who was kidnapped by the PKK 5 years ago, finally reached her daughter Melike. Moreover , Stating that she has been missed her family while she was separated from her family, Melike said: They tricked me away. I went there, saw the life and the hardships. I had a hard time when I first went. I was planning to escape. But there was fear, I couldn’t do it.” Also, she said “I’m happy to run away from there. I hope the little children there will be able to reunite with their families like me. I hope mothers who protest will have their children.” she support the families.
ROSTRA STRATEJİ 