The Saturday Mothers/People, a group of families demanding justice for their disappeared relatives, marked their 1000th week of peaceful protest at Galatasaray Square in Beyoğlu, İstanbul.
Gathering for the first time on May 27, 1995, the group has consistently called for accountability for extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances during the conflict in the Kurdish regions.
In recent years, these gatherings have been disallowed by police, despite a 2022 ruling by the Constitutional Court affirming the group’s right to assemble.
The 1000th gathering saw a larger turnout, with members holding carnations and photos of their missing relatives. Representatives from various human rights organizations, including the Human Rights Association (İHD), and several political figures attended the event. Among the attendees were Tuncer Bakırhan and Tülay Hatimoğulları, co-leaders of the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party, DEM Group Deputy Chair Meral Danış-Beştaş and Van MP Pervin Buldan.
In a statement for bianet, Danış-Beştaş highlighted the peaceful nature of the protest, which, according to the politician, proved that the previous bans were arbitrary. Buldan reiterated the commitment to seeking justice, stating, "This square is our justice square."
Family members of the disappeared also spoke, sharing their pain and demanding justice. Emine Ocak, mother of Hasan Ocak, expressed gratitude for the solidarity shown by the attendees. Zübeyde Tepe, mother of Ferhat Tepe, a journalist for Özgür Gündem, vowed to continue the struggle until those responsible, including former officials, are held accountable.
The protesters’ demands included the prosecution of individuals responsible for enforced disappearances, such as former Prime Minister Tansu Çiller and former Minister of the Interior Mehmet Ağar. Family members of the disappeared stressed their determination to see justice served and their loved ones’ remains properly buried.
"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.
(EMK/VK)
