Families in Turkey await news of loved ones as Kurdish insurgency ends

The Star

12-05-2025

Hatice Levent holds a picture of her daughter Fadime who is believed to have joined the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) as families of young people who they say were recruited by the PKK gather outside the local office of the pro-Kurdish DEM Party, as PKK disbands and ends 40-year Turkey insurgency, in the southeastern city of Diyarbakir, Turkey, May 12, 2025. REUTERS/Sertac Kayar
DIYARBAKIR (Reuters) - Hours after the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) announced it was disbanding its armed wing, families gathered outside an office in the Turkish city of Diyarbakir, many with tears in their eyes and photos in their hands.
Some talked about the chances for peace, but many had more pressing personal concerns - the children and other loved ones who had left to join the armed struggle over the decades who they hoped and prayed might now be able to come home.
"I haven't seen my son in 10 years," said Sevgi Cagmar, whose son was 19 when he joined the PKK. "I stayed awake for nights waiting for this news. If he comes back, the world will be mine."
Cagmar joined scores of other relatives waiting for news at the office run by the pro-Kurdish DEM Party in the largest city in Turkey's mainly Kurdish southeast.
All held out the hope that their relatives and friends would return - families usually get information if someone has died.
Hatice Levent clutched an image of her daughter Fadime who she believes joined the PKK 11 years ago when she was a university student. She accused the DEM of helping to arrange her daughter's departure.
"They stole her dreams, our future. I just want to hug her again. I'm waiting with open arms," Levent said. She thanked Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan for launching what she hopes is a final peace effort.
'WHAT COMES NEXT'
There have been many reports of PKK militants losing touch with their families for years. Much of the fighting in the past was focused in the rural areas of southeast Turkey. But the conflict has since mainly moved to northern Iraq, where the PKK has bases in the mountains.
Turkey has dozens of outposts in Iraqi territory and monitors its border with Iraq to stop people crossing back over.
"This war must end. Soldiers, police the ones in the mountains — all of them are our children," said Sultan Guger, whose son joined the PKK 10 years ago. "Brother has killed brother. We don't want any more pain."
In other cities in the region, people greeted the news with cautious hope - welcoming the chance of peace, but fearful of the future after more than 40 years of conflict.
"The PKK was an organization that brought Kurdish issues to the forefront," said Ihsan Ergiz from the southeastern city of Batman.
"If democratic rights are finally granted, disbanding is natural. It will be better for our country."
"Laying down arms is good, but we don't know what comes next," said a resident of Diyarbakir who did not give their name. "Will prisoners be released? We can't see the full picture."
(Reporting by Sertac Kayar, Writing by Ece Toksabay; Editing by Andrew Heavens)