HDP Co-Spokesman and İzmir Deputy Ertuğrul Kürkçü told BBC World earlier this month that PKK terror attacks on Turkish security forces are not "a matter of condemnation." Also, in early August, HDP Co-Chair Figen Yüksekdağ spoke to the German daily Deutsche Welle and praised the terrorist organization. She said the PKK is "a national liberation movement and also an organization that stands for democracy and equality." Her remarks came after the PKK commenced suicide bomb attacks and increased other terrorist activities across the country. HDP deputy Abdullah Zeydan has also made provocative statements and threatened Turkey by saying that the PKK terrorist organization has the power to "drown Turkey with its spit."President Erdoğan reiterated his call for the terrorist organization to disarm and leave the country. He also said the reconciliation process is "frozen" and that the state will continue with the National Unity and Brotherhood Project that aims to take further democratization steps to give rights to Kurdish citizens.Reminding that the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) lifted the state of emergency in the mainly Kurdish populated provinces in the first months when the party came into power in 2003, Erdoğan said many reforms had so far been taken, including establishing Kurdish courses and a Kurdish channel in state-run broadcasting and removing discriminative policies.""Despite all these efforts, what is the reason behind martyring our children? What do they want? I will tell you. They are aiming to separate our country," he added.Touching upon the recent PKK terror attacks, Erdoğan recently said that he knew that the people of Turkey are seriously worried about the current situation. "But do not forget that there is no victory for cowards. Never think that those terrorists are powerful; those cowardly terrorists are bound to fail and perish. Our recent anti-terror operations are not temporary, our fight against terror will continue until the last terrorist leaves our territory," he added."We will never lose our determination in our fight against terror. We will allow no slackness or pause in our fight. Those who do not favor our campaign against terror cannot deter us from our path," he said.Saying that every kind of terror has to be opposed, he criticized those who do not condemn PKK terror. "They lean on terrorists and terrorist organizations. But God is with us; our people are with us. We are continuing our struggle as a whole nation. Please do not worry about the situation; thank God that we are powerful. Whoever supports or controls terrorists will sooner or later be defeated," the president added.Having unilaterally declared the end of the cease-fire on July 11 using the government building dams and bridges in Kurdish areas as an excuse, the PKK terrorist organization has also made life quite unbearable for Kurds in the region, forcing them to migrate in the wake of digging ditches in the streets, blowing up infrastructure and raiding weddings.Additionally, the PKK uses children in clashes as human shields and arms them against security personnel. It was expected that the PKK would lay down its arms after the beginning of the reconciliation process. The PKK, however, made life miserable in the region with arson, roadside explosions and ambushes. The PKK's urban youth branch, the Patriotic Revolutionist Youth Movement (YDG-H), aims to spread fear across provinces by opening fire on security personnel and police stations with rifles.Digging ditches in the streets is a recent tactic in the PKK's playbook whereby the terrorists are able to draw in security personnel in an attempt to lure the troops into firing at children used as shields. Covering their faces with masks, children are often in the front carrying rifles and rocket launchers. Security personnel, however, refrain from acting recklessly by carrying out meticulous operations in order not to play into the PKK's hands.The people in the region have grown afraid of even calling an ambulance since the PKK opens fire on ambulances and abducts the personnel. The most tragic example of such attacks took place in July in the Tekman district of Erzurum province when militants hijacked an ambulance carrying a pregnant woman in labor.