Saturday Mothers/People Prevented from Gathering at Galatasaray Square Again

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Saturday Mothers/People, whose sit-in protests at Galatasaray Square have been prevented by the police since the 700th week, were also prevented from gathering at the square in their 707th week on October 13.

While the police blockaded the street, where the İstanbul Branch of the Human Rights Association (İHD) is located, before the protest, the statement for the press was allowed to be read out in front of the İHD's building.

Among the ones who attended the protest this week were Chair of the Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey (DİSK) Arzu Çerkezoğlu, Co-Chair of the Confederation of Public Laborers' Unions (KESK) Mehmet Bozgeyik, MP of the Workers' Party of Turkey (TİP) Erkan Baş and MP of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Hüda Kaya.

Zübeyde Tepe: Why is this oppression?

In the 707th week of their protests, Saturday Mothers/People asked the fates of Abdulkerim Şemsettin Yurtseven, Mikdat Özeken and Münür Sarıtaş, who disappeared while in custody 23 years ago.

Speaking after the statement for the press, the mother of Özgür Gündem reporter Ferhat Kaya, who disappeared in police custody in 1993, Zübeyde Tepe stated, "We wanted justice. We said, 'The murderers of our children should be put on trial', we did not even chant a slogan and just sat there in silence. Why is this oppression?" (TP/SD)

*Photographs: Cansu Pişkin