Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu praised the struggle of mothers, usually referred to as the "Diyarbakır Mothers," to repatriate their children from the clutches of the PKK terrorist organization, which abducts and brainwashes youth to join its ranks.

The minister made these remarks at the first edition of the International Child Watch Congress on Saturday, which was dedicated to the plight and fight of parents. The event, co-organized by a Nevşehir lawmaker from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and the Media Platform Association, brought together sociology experts, academics, celebrities and journalists.

"This is not an easy task. You might not imagine the circumstances that have forced them (the mothers) to stage protests in such daunting situations. It is certainly difficult for a woman to raise her voice in the face of adversities in the region," the minister praised, lambasting the PKK's exploitation of the regional population, mainly Kurds, for decades to recruit members.

The minister appreciated that although the terrorist group had worked hard to eradicate the concept of family in the region, the mothers still stand strong, demanding the repatriation of their beloved children. "The PKK has a ferocious mindset. It rips away a 9-year-old boy from his family and hands him a Kalashnikov rifle, which is equivalent to his size," the minister said, adding that anyone who supports the PKK's barbaric acts follows the same mindset.

He also said that it was their children's innocence that has kept the mothers going despite all the hurdles.

Child Watch refers to a unique sit-in protest staged by mothers (who were later joined by fathers) in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır in a bid for the return of their sons and daughters who were forced to join the terrorist group.

The Diyarbakır protests started when a mother, Hacire Akar, turned up at the doorstep of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Diyarbakır office one night, demanding to be reunited with her son from the PKK. Akar’s son Mehmet returned home on Aug. 24, 2019, sparking hope for other families suffering from the same fate.

A week later, on Sept. 3, families inspired by Akar staged a collective sit-in protest, which snowballed into a massive movement and spurred demonstrations in other provinces. Over 300 families have been camping in front of the HDP headquarters since then, holding banners and pictures of their children taken away by the terrorists.

The HDP is generally accused of acting as the parliamentary front of the terrorist organization and because of this; the families have directed their protests and demands to their headquarters. Many also blame the party for becoming the focal point of actions violating the Turkish state’s "unbreakable unity" and having an "active role in providing personnel to the PKK."

Since the sit-in protest began, a significant number of suspected terrorists have fled the PKK and returned home, yet, many terrorists lack the courage to leave the group out of fear of severe punishment if caught. As a result, more parents are joining the movement every other week.

Despite the occasional threats or ridicule from HDP officials and those linked to the PKK, or even the coronavirus pandemic, the group has been standing its ground. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has voiced support for the Diyarbakır mothers several times, arguing that human rights defenders of the West have failed to come and visit the families or recognize their struggle.

Meanwhile, Soylu underlined the HDP’s role in the recruitment of militants for the PKK, noting that testimony of surrendered PKK members indicated that almost 35% of recruits joined the terrorist group through the party's efforts.

Last week, the minister announced that Türkiye had stepped up operations against the PKK in 2022 and carried out 130,981 operations in rural parts of the country that terrorists favor as hideouts and neutralized 129 terrorists. He also noted that the number of PKK terrorists in Türkiye decreased to below 120 in 2022.

A total of 87 high-ranking figures of the terrorist groups were also neutralized in 2022. Most of them were already on the Interior Ministry’s "most wanted" list, which offers prizes for tip-offs for the capture of terrorists. Two neutralized terrorists were in the red category of the most wanted list – which usually includes the most senior members of the terrorist groups.

Soylu said incidents of terrorism dropped by 21% compared to 2021, while authorities convinced 125 PKK members to surrender in 2022. The minister added that the number of people joining the PKK also dropped as compared to past years. In 2014, over 5,500 people joined the terrorist group, while it dropped below 1,000 in 2016. Last year, only 57 people joined the group.