Two families who lost many members to a notorious massacre by PKK terrorists in southeastern Türkiye decades ago announced their support for a new initiative that aims to put a definitive end to the campaign of violence.
The Aykut and Boz families recently met President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, in the wake of a “terror-free initiative” launched by Devlet Bahçeli, an ally of Erdoğan and chair of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). Erdoğan has termed the initiative as a historic window of opportunity. The initiative involves a call to the PKK to lay down arms. Bahçeli said earlier that the terrorist group’s jailed leader should make the call and if the PKK refuses, it should be eradicated.
The PKK is responsible for the killings of thousands since the 1980s. Among them are 28 people slaughtered in the village of Ikiyaka in the southeastern province of Hakkari, which was a hotbed of terrorist activity for years. The village, about 50 kilometers (30 miles) from the Yüksekova district of the province, paid a hefty price for opposing the terrorist group. Descending on the village on Nov. 24, 1989, terrorists rounded up members of families who refused to aid terrorists who previously visited the village and sought to recruit members. The village was home to several people serving as voluntary guards against terrorists. Going door to door, a large group of PKK members randomly fired on civilians while separately rounding up a group of men for execution. As they were leaving, they set houses on fire.
Halil Aykut, who lost 16 members of his family in Ikiyaka 36 years ago, told Anadolu Agency (AA) following their meeting with Erdoğan that they conveyed their support for the terror-free initiative and thanked him for inviting them.
“We certainly want terrorism to end as soon as possible. Our only expectation is that victims and their families are remembered. We lost a baby who was lying in his cradle when he was killed. Terrorists over the years killed soldiers and police officers. May Allah punish them for what they’ve done,” he said.
“We fully agree with Mr. President and Mr. Bahçeli (on their initiative),” he added.