Şenyaşar family seeks justice in front of courthouse for 200 days

* Photo: Mezopotamya Agency (MA)

Click to read the article in Turkish / Kurdish

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 demanding justice for six months now.

As of today (September 24), they have been keeping a justice watch in front of the Urfa courthouse for 200 days. Coming to the area that they call "the Justice Corner of the Şenyaşar Family", Emine and Ferit Şenyaşar started today's watch by holding a banner of "Justice for all."

In a message on their social media account, the Şenyaşar family have announced that they have been seeking justice in front of the courthouse for 200 days now. They have said, "We have been waiting for justice in front of the Şanlıurfa Courthouse for 200 days. We will meet the public prosecutor together with 200 lawyers so that the legal process will function."

The message has added, "We hope that the entitled prosecutor will initiate the legal process that will convince our family and the public."

Şanlıurfa Adalet Sarayında #Adaletİçin200Gün'dür bekliyoruz.
Hukuki sürecin işlemesi için 200 avukat ile birlikte başsavcı ile görüşeceğiz.
(Yetkili savcı ailemizi ve kamuoyunu ikna edici hukuki süreci başlatmasını temenni ediyoruz.) pic.twitter.com/weTgTL61ht

— #ŞenyaşarAilesineAdalet (@senyasarailesi) September 24, 2021

For today's justice watch, the family also wanted to hold an exhibition with the pictures of Esvet Şenyaşar and his sons Adil and Celal Şenyaşar, who were killed in the armed attack. They also opened a banner that read, "A father and his two sons were massacred inside the Suruç Public Hospital on June 14, 2018. There is not a single arrestee for 3 years. Justice for Şenyaşar family." The police seized both the pictures and the banner, arguing that they were "trying to provoke people."

The family have announced the incident on Twitter:

Bugün basın açıklaması için sergi açtık ancak şu an güvenlik şube sergiyi zorla topladı. Ellerinde bir karar olmadan zorla aldılar. Basını gözaltına almaya çalıştılar. İşte bizim için öngörülen adalet bu! @adalet_bakanlik pic.twitter.com/tPzL1H0Bbv

— #ŞenyaşarAilesineAdalet (@senyasarailesi) September 24, 2021

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)