Media portals closed to the KDP secret service Parastin spread the news on 4 January: “Identity of 25 children kidnapped by the PKK revealed”. By PKK, the KDP media actually meant the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the people's and women's defense units YPG and YPJ. Investigative journalists from Proaktif Atölye (@proaktifatolye) followed up on the report and made contact with the allegedly kidnapped "children" and their families.

The journalists found that the vast majority of the allegedly abducted children were in fact at home with their families. Several children had wanted to join the people’s forces but had been turned away because of their young age.

The Proaktif Atolye statement said: “The PKK kidnapped children? Do the SDF, YPJ and YPG forcibly recruit children? We have checked the allegations spread by circles around MIT-KDP-ENKS and published by some media and met with the allegedly kidnapped children and young people and their families."

Some of the results of the investigation report are as follows:

The allegedly kidnapped Diyar Fuad Ehmed said: “I was not kidnapped, I left of my own free will. Despite my insistence, they [the people’s forces] sent me home again. I'll go again when I'm 18.” Diyar’s mother added: “My son is at home and goes to school regularly."

His father indignantly remarked:" I curse this slander by such people who have sold themselves."

Lina Abdulbaki, who was also allegedly kidnapped, said: “I wanted to join the friends [YPJ] to fight ISIS. When the friends realized that I was too young, they sent me home."

Lina's father, who is with the SDF, said: "Are you telling me that I kidnap my daughter then? I am myself with the SDF. If these claims were correct, I would have kidnapped my daughter with my own hand."

Allegedly kidnapped Cûdî Adnan said: “I went of my own free will. The friends said I could come when I grew up. The door of the party is always open to us." Cûdî's mother added: "The children see for themselves that war is being waged against the Kurds on all sides and they contact the YPG out of their own will."

Another alleged kidnapping victim is Ronîdar Darî. Her application for membership was also not approved due to her young age. She confirmed: “I went to the YPJ at my own request. They rejected me because I was too young.”

The father of the allegedly kidnapped Fethi Mihemed said: “Eight months ago our son left. He left of his own free will. He stayed for 12 or 13 days. The friends brought him back. Now he's here.”

His mother adde: “Thank God. They sent our son back. Now he is at home in his village and works."

Esrin Mihemedi's father from East Kurdistan said he was forced by the Iranian regime to sign documents that his daughter was kidnapped. He then fled to South Kurdistan. He says: “My daughter joined herself. She fell in the bombing by the Turkish army. Do not believe the lies of these criminals."

Statements from many other young people and from parents, including the alleged kidnapped Hêlîn Fehd, Rênas Tahir, Kewser Eli and Dijwar Xelil, can be found in the investigative feature carried out by Proaktif Atölye. The families interviewed all confirmed the kidnapping reports are a propaganda campaign by the secret service.