238th MEETING OF SATURDAY MOTHERS/PEOPLE

Persistence on Unsolved Disappearances

The Saturday Mothers/People gathered on Istanbul's Galatasaray Square for the 238th time to draw public attention to the disappearance of Hüseyin Toraman who was kidnapped from in front of his house 18 years ago. They also reminded disappearance of six peasants in Silopi 16 years ago.

Bawer Çakır

Friends and relatives of lost Hüseyin Toraman and 6 peasants gathered on the central Galatasary Square on Istanbul's popular Istiklal Avenue for the 238^th time. Toraman was kidnapped from in front of his house in Istanbul 18 years ago in 27 October 1991. Nobody has heard from him ever since. The 6 missing peasants disappeared from the town of Silopi in the southeast of Turkey in 1993.

When Toraman's sister Sakine Kaçar told her brother's story, she also read from a letter her mother wrote, "My sons kidnapper, murderers and fascists will never be forgotten".

Leman Yurtsever talked on behalf of the Human Righst Association (İHD) Istanbul Branch Commission against Disappearances in Detention. He reminded the 6 peasants that disappeared in Görümlü village and its surroundings close to the town of Silopi in 1993:

"Hikmet Şimşek and Hamdin Şimşek from a Chaldean family were taken from their homes with the bible in their pocket and the cross around their necks. They said, "Look, your imam became Christian, how do you perform the namaz behind a Christian's back?" Then they took 7 people and brought them to the battalion. About 1 hour later gunfire could be heard from the battalion. Abdurrahman Kayek was released towards the evening hours. His skin was peeled off and his finger nails had been torn out. He did not talk at all. The same night he disappeared from the village. The families started to worry a lot. They went to the battalion and asked Divisional Commander Mete Sayar about their relatives. Sayar threw them out and said, 'Get out of here! Your village is Armenian, your imam is Armenian. Do not ask again or you will share the same fate'. They handed a petition to the prosecutor who said, 'Yes, they were detained at the same day and interrogated; they joined the mountain staff'. Nobody ever heard from them again".

Yurtsever requested the punishment of Şırnak Brigade Commander Mete Sayar and officials of the time who are to be held responsible for the peasants' disappearances. (BÇ/VK)