Saturday Mothers/People Ask Fate of Enforced Disappeared Children Ahead of April 23

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Staging weekly sit-in protests for their enforced disappeared relatives and loved ones for the last 786 weeks, the Saturday Mothers/People have made this week's statement on social media due to coronavirus outbreak and asked the fate and whereabouts of the children disappeared in custody with their families ahead of April 23 Children's Day.

Demanding justice for the enforced disappeared children on this occasion, this week's statement has been read out by Serpil Taşkaya, the daughter of enforced disappeared Hüseyin Taşkaya:

"In our 786th week, on the occasion of April 23 Children's Day, we are once again reminding the public of the reality of enforced disappeared children in custody. Because indifference, the enemy of hope, good and solidarity, can only be defeated by remembering.

'Protecting children is a duty of the state'

"The United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child, to which Turkey is a party, as well as the Law on the Protection of Children guarantee the protection of children's right to life. The protection of children as well as the guarantee of their rights and well-being is a duty of the state. Every child has the right to be protected from violence.

"However, in this land, dozens of children have been denied their right to life by being disappeared in custody, which is the ultimate point that the state violence has reached. Though witness statements, indictments of prosecutor's offices, court minutes, ECtHR rulings and the report of the Parliament have documented how these children were taken into custody and disappeared, it has ended in impunity in domestic law.

'Their fate and whereabouts left in darkness'

"It was rejected that 3-year-old Dilek Serin disappeared with her family in Mirik Hamlet in Tunceli; 12-year-old Davut Altunkaynak disappeared with his family in Mardin Dargeçit; 13-year-old Seyhan Doğan; 12-year-old İlyas Diril disappeared with his family in Şırnak Uludere; 13-year-old Münir Sarıtaş disappeared with his family in Hakkari Yüksekova; 14-year-old Metin Budak disappeared with his family in Diyarbakır Lice; 15-year-old Servet İpek; 15-year-old Çayan Çiçek and disappeared 25 children were detained.

"Their fate and whereabouts are left in darkness, perpetrators were protected with impunity. In short, it has not yet been possible to get justice for the children disappeared in custody. Despite all applications of families and human rights defenders seeking justice as well as all witnesses, evidence and ECtHR convictions, even despite the report of the Parliament, the related authorities answered, 'We did not make these children disappear.'

'Who made these children disappear?'

"We are calling out to the judicial and political authorities responsible for protecting children from violence. You reject our all allegations, you do not take witness statements and ECtHR verdicts into consideration, you disregard the report of the Parliament. Then, you tell us: Who made these children disappear? Who did this brutal deeds?

"In the name of truth, in the name of justice, in the name of conscience, we will keep asking these questions. We will never give up remembering/ reminding you of the children disappeared in custody. We will not give up Galatasaray, our meeting place with our losses that has been banned to us for 87 weeks." (RT/SD)