Saturday Mothers/People hold 1000th gathering in İstanbul

"1000 weeks of deep pain and persistance"

Full text of the Saturday Mothers/People statement titled "1000 Weeks with the Same Deep Pain and Persistence,” as read out by Sebla Arcan from the İHD:

1000 weeks... That’s 7000 days, 229 months... A lifetime spent searching...

We are the Saturday Mothers and People. We are mothers, fathers, spouses, siblings, children, nephews, nieces, and grandchildren. We are just like you.

But there is one significant difference.

Our hearts bear a deep, unhealed wound; the indescribable pain of not even having a grave for our loved ones.

We never heard from our loved ones again after they were taken into custody by the state security forces. Sometimes, after months or years, we found their tortured bodies buried secretly in unmarked graves. Other times, we found no trace of them at all. All that remains are their names and the photos we hold close.

Look at the photos of our loved ones we carry. They were just like you. They were workers, tradespeople, taxi drivers, farmers, doctors, pharmacists, nurses, guards, lawyers, journalists, teachers, engineers, businesspeople, elementary, high school, and university students, politicians, and unionists. They were the ones we loved the most...

For 1000 weeks, we have gathered in Galatasaray Square with a pain that never ceases and a hope that never fades: We want our loved ones taken by the state! We want to know their fate!

For 1000 weeks, we have been asking: Where are our disappeared loved ones?

For 1000 weeks, we have been asking: Why are those responsible for these crimes against humanity protected by impunity?

For 1000 weeks, we have been shouting: We do not forget, we will never forget.

For 1000 weeks, we have been shouting: We do not give up, we will never give up.

Since May 27, 1995, we have gathered every week at 12:00 PM in Galatasaray Square. Galatasaray became the voice of our cause. Sometimes we were blocked, sometimes banned. We were forcibly dispersed, detained, and prosecuted. But we never wavered in our resolve. How could we, when our loved ones are at stake?

We cannot touch our disappeared loved ones, but every Saturday, we proudly carry their pictures. We cannot place flowers on their graves, but every Saturday, we leave a carnation in Galatasaray Square for them.

This tradition will continue to be passed down through generations. Every eye that looks at Galatasaray Square, every stone in that square, is a witness to this great shame of the state and the resilience of the Saturday Mothers!

In our 1000th week, we stand before the public with a single demand: We want our disappeared loved ones.

We want to place our carnations not in Galatasaray, but on the real graves of our loved ones.

We want them to have a trace, a place in the land where they were born and lived.

In our 1000th week, we once again declare: We will not stop searching for our loved ones until we find them.”

This powerful statement underscores the enduring struggle and unyielding spirit of the Saturday Mothers, as they continue to seek justice and closure for their disappeared loved ones.