A quiet demonstration that started on Sept. 3, 2019, continues to this day, with the number of demonstrators growing. Outside the now-defunct building of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), a group mainly consisting of women holds a vigil for the return of their sons, daughters and young next of kin brainwashed by the PKK terrorist group.

Over time, the group has come to be known as the "Diyarbakır Mothers," named after the city where they stage their vigil. Their action was unprecedented in a region plagued by terrorism, and they faced intimidation, both from the HDP, a PKK-linked party, and the terrorist group itself. But their determination has encouraged more people to come and join them in search of their children they claim were deceived by the HDP to join the terrorist group. The vigil soon attracted a total of 376 people, mostly parents of PKK members who are believed to be in hiding with other terrorists in neighboring Iraq.

The HDP, which now operates under another name, long abandoned the building where the sit-in strike takes place but the families became a familiar sight, sitting under a tent and clutching photos of their children before they left for the PKK. The government’s support of their demonstration, messages of solidarity from across the country and reunion of 55 families with their children who fled the PKK amid the vigil comfort the group now.

Those remaining in the sit-in group cling to the hope of a similar reunion, such as Ayten Elhaman, who has been part of Diyarbakır Mothers for the past five years. Elhaman, protesting the forced recruitment of her son, says she dared to take on several challenges to continue her protest while slamming the HDP for tricking their children and taking them to "mountains," a colloquial term used to describe people joining the group which hides out in mountainous territory, either in Türkiye or in Iraq. "I still believe that we will reunite with our children thanks to our struggle," she told Anadolu Agency (AA) on Sunday, ahead of the fifth anniversary of the sit-in.

"I call upon the entire Türkiye to support us on Sept. 3. I call on all mothers and youth not to fall for the DEM Party," she says, referring to the spiritual successor of the HDP. "Mothers will not be daunted and will accomplish their goal. I call on all sons and daughters to escape from the PKK. We have a strong state here that will take care of them," she says.

Hatun Yüceyurt’s son Serdar was in Istanbul when he fell for HDP propaganda and joined the terrorist group. Yüceyurt joined other mothers when the sit-in started. She laments that her husband passed away without seeing the return of their son. "We want this to be the last year here," she says.

Türkan Mutlu vows to stay with other mothers for her daughter Ceylan. "It is my only wish to get back my daughter safe and sound. I call on her to return if she can hear my voice, read what I said. You are not free in that dungeon (called the PKK). A daughter is supposed to be with her mother, not in the mountains or caves," she said. Mutlu stressed that she raised her daughter to be a good citizen but that she was deceived into joining the PKK. "I call on everyone here on Sept. 3. (The PKK) came for my daughter. Tomorrow, it can be their children. Mothers should unite," she added.

Men accompanying the mothers echo the same feelings. Yusuf Erdinç joined the demonstrators from Van, an eastern city, in search of his son Mikail. Mikail was a university student when he left the school and joined the PKK. "He studied at the university. Children of HDP lawmakers also studied but they are not in the mountains with the PKK. My son was supposed to study, but he is now given a gun. I will continue my protest here for my son. I call others whose children were brainwashed by the PKK to join us here. They should not be afraid," he said.

Şehmus Çelebi represents his family at the sit-in as he awaits the return of his brother Abdurrahman. Abdurrahman was 13 years old in 2015 when he disappeared from his school and was recruited into the PKK. This turned into a tragedy for the Çelebi family, Şehmus says, pointing out that his father had cancer and died soon after while their mother is now bedridden after a stroke upon learning that Abdurrahman joined the terrorists.

"My brother had nothing to do with them but they tricked him. The HDP claims to defend Kurds. I am a Kurd and the state did not do any harm to me (as the PKK claimed). (The HDP and PKK) harm the children of poor families. They are our enemies," Çelebi said.

Çelebi urged his brother to turn himself in. "You lost your father. At least, come visit your mother," he said. Türkiye has remorse laws in place for surrendering terrorists. In some cases, they can walk free if they are not involved in lethal terrorist attacks.

The sit-in of the Diyarbakır Mothers also gave birth to similar protests in other eastern provinces and, in one case, in Germany, where a mother launched a solo sit-in against the PKK’s abduction of her daughter.

The solidarity of families drew nationwide praise and shed light on the dark side of the terrorist group seeking legitimacy through political parties such as the HDP and DEM Party. For its part, the HDP and its cadres now serving in the DEM Party have denied the claims of the protesters; however, there is evidence that most of the missing children disappeared after attending HDP-sponsored festivals and similar events that served as recruitment venues for the PKK.

The HDP’s successor DEM Party had other "mothers" on their agenda on Sunday. The party’s co-chair, Tülay Hatimoğulları, joined the "Peace Mothers" for a meeting in Istanbul on World Peace Day. "Peace Mothers" refers to a group of women whose children willingly joined the PKK and they advocate more rights for terrorists, including the jailed leader of the group, Abdullah Öcalan.