Tensions rise after families protest in front of HDP headquarters

ANKARA

Families whose children were kidnapped by the terrorist PKK group held a protest in front of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) headquarters in Ankara on May 5.

Tensions arose between the families and HDP supporters when the former wanted to lay black wreaths.

Claiming that their children were abducted by the PKK, Celil Begdaş, Süleyman Aydın and Nihat Aydın wanted to hold a protest, representing the families who have been holding the “Child Watch” for 976 days in front of the HDP Provincial Directorate in Diyarbakır.

Three people, holding photographs of their children, whom they said have been kidnapped by the PKK, came to the front of the HDP building with a black wreath that read: “We want our children from HDP.” Meanwhile, HDP MP Ayşe Acar Başaran and the party members reacted to the families.

When the party members wanted to take the black wreath and throw it away, a clash broke out between the police and HDP supporters. Meanwhile, the families chanted “Give our children back.”

Making a statement, Begdaş said, “My son was sick at the age of 15. What is a 9-year-old, 8-year-old boy doing on the mountain? Where are our children?”

“HDP has always deceived the Kurds. Here I would like to thank the president and the interior minister. This HDP can never be the representative of the Kurds,” he said.