Police intercept women visiting Şenyaşar family in support

* Photo: Mezopotamya Agency (MA)

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The Şenyaşar family have been demanding justice in front of the Urfa courthouse for 246 days as of today (November 9).

Emine Şenyaşar lost her spouse and two sons in an attack by the security guards and relatives of İbrahim Halil Yıldız from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in Urfa. She and her son Ferit Şenyaşar, who survived the attack, have been seeking justice since then.

As reported by Mezopotamya Agency (MA), over a hundred Peace Mothers and relatives of prisoners from Mardin, Şırnak, Van, Hakkari, Diyarbakır, Batman and İstanbul wanted to visit the Şenyaşar family in the spot where they have been keeping a "justice watch."

The women were intercepted by the police near the Urfa courthouse, where the family have been demanding justice.

'Support from all around'

The police did not let the women pass and surrounded everyone, citing the "crowdedness" as a reason.

When lawyers asked for a written justification, police officers rejected this request and said that no justification would be shared. In response to this, the Şenyaşar family walked to the place where the groups were intercepted. Emine Şenyaşar was acclaimed by the groups.

Mother Şenyaşar passed out in front of the police barricade, saying, "You have brought along my Adil, my Celal."

Peace Mothers told her, "We have come from all around to make the resistance stronger. Don't cry. Don't make them happy."

Mother Şenyaşar responded, "I hope that the ones who make us go through this atrocity will leave soon. There is no justice. The justice of the state is the police standing over us. What kind of a state is this? If you are a prosecutor, do your duty. Where are my children?"

'Long live Mother Emine's resistance'

Speaking afterwards, Zekiye Kaya from the Van Peace Mothers Assembly said, "We are all behind the mother. Everyone must lay claim to her. If this state belongs to everyone, it must be the same for everyone. Everyone must turn to the mother in the face of 245-day justice watch."

She added, "We will defend the mother's struggle everywhere we are. Take a step for justice. The requests of the mother are the requests of ours. The whole world should stop shutting its eyes. Long live Mother Emine's resistance. Mothers want justice and peace despite everything."

What happened?

During the election campaign of ruling AKP Urfa MP İbrahim Halil Yıldız in Suruç, Urfa on June 14, 2018, an attack turned into an armed conflict, which claimed the lives of Yıldız's brother Mehmet Şah Yıldız, shop owner Hacı Esvet Şenyaşar and his sons Adil and Celal Şenyaşar.

Having lost his father and two brothers and been wounded himself in the incident, Fadıl Şenyaşar was discharged from hospital and detained on June 17. He was then arrested and sent to prison.

Demanding justice for two sons, husband and her arrested son, Emine Şenyaşar and her son Ferit Şenyaşar, who survived the attack, have been keeping a "justice watch" in front of the courthouse.

There has been a confidentiality order on the file of the investigation into the attack for 3 years, 3 months. The second appeal of the Şenyaşar family against the "confidentiality" order on the investigation into the second attack at the Suruç Public Hospital was rejected on April 21, 2021.

The Constitutional Court, to which the family appealed, has not yet given its decision. One of the demands raised by the family on their justice watch is the removal of this "confidentiality" order. (EMK/SD)