President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Monday slammed the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) for its lack of outrage about the PKK abducting girls and its lack of support for the ongoing Diyarbakır protests after a recent child abuse incident shocked the Turkish public.
“We expect a unified reaction of outrage for our girls the PKK abducts from the laps of their mothers, given weapons and subjected to all kinds of abuse by their leaders at the age of 12 or 13,” Erdoğan asserted at the Cabinet meeting in the capital Ankara.
Calling out CHP Chairperson Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, the president asked: “Mr. Kemal, how many times have you visited the Diyarbakır mothers? For instance, we expect you to pursue the issue with the same determination as if dozens of similar abuse allegations occurred in other organizations and municipalities."
“How can we believe that the assertiveness of those who have ignored the struggle of the Diyarbakır mothers to free their children from the hands of the (terrorist) group for years is even rooted in humanitarian and moral principles?” Erdoğan questioned.
Families have been staging a protest in front of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) headquarters in southeastern Diyarbakır province.
The protest started when Hacire Akar turned up at the doorstep of the HDP’s Diyarbakır office one night, demanding to be reunited with her son. Akar’s son Mehmet returned home on Aug. 24, 2019, giving hope to other families. A week later families inspired by Akar staged a collective sit-in protest on Sept. 3, 2019.
Since then, demonstrations have spread to other provinces, including Van, Muş, Şırnak and Hakkari.
Families have not given up their protests despite difficult conditions. They are sometimes threatened or ridiculed by HDP officials and others linked to the PKK terrorist organization. The protests even continued despite the coronavirus pandemic, with families taking necessary precautions while staging demonstrations.
Speaking on the child abuse case, Erdoğan maintained that all necessary steps being are taken in the matter but that the opposition is ignoring it.
“We cannot accept an engagement at 13 and marriage at 14 in today’s world. Furthermore, the claims of abuse at earlier ages are a tragedy," he said.
“After the investigation carried out by our Interior Ministry, the matter was referred to the judiciary. At this stage, our Ministry of Family and Social Services provided a lawyer for the victim and continued to follow the legal process closely. Our Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has prepared its indictment by investigating the allegations with all their dimensions and documents. The first hearing on the case is expected soon,” he underscored.
Last week, the Turkish public was shocked upon hearing the news of a case in which a woman stated she had been married at 6 and was sexually abused. The woman is the daughter of Yusuf Ziya Gümüşel, who is the founder of the Hiranur Foundation, which is linked to the Ismailağa Community, a religious group. The outrage was sparked after the victim's father and husband were not arrested despite the case being opened in 2020.
The president also criticized the CHP for trying to relate the case to Islam.
According to the Presidency's Directorate of Communications, the victim checked into the Violence Prevention and Monitoring Center (ŞÖNIM) of the Ministry of Family and Social Services on Dec. 4, 2020.
“(The victim) was placed in a women's guest house on Dec. 8, 2020. Before the indictment was prepared, all of the victim's needs, including shelter and education, were met,” the directorate said in a statement.
