Saturday Mothers Reiterate Their Call for Truth and Justice in the 1111th Week

The Saturday Mothers, who are fighting to learn the fate of their relatives who disappeared in custody, gathered at Galatasaray Square in the 1111th week of their demonstrations. In this humanitarian and legal struggle that has been going on for years, the families continue to ask where their loved ones are and demand that the truth be revealed. The 10-person demonstration ban and physical barriers in the square, applied despite the relevant decisions of the Constitutional Court, are met with a strong reaction by the relatives of the disappeared. Emphasizing that those responsible for the disappearances in custody must be held accountable, the group called on the state to open all its archives and disclose the truth. The participants stated that with their determined stance in the squares, they will fight to the end for the protection of law, justice, and human dignity.

During the demonstration, a press statement was read aloud to the crowd by Sebla Arcan, a member of the Disappearances Commission of the Human Rights Association (İHD) İstanbul Branch. Arcan stated that the government and the state have maintained a deep silence for years regarding the truth about the disappeared. She expressed that they ask the same question every week and have been in the squares for 1111 weeks to learn the fate of their loved ones who disappeared in custody. Arguing that all barriers in Galatasaray Square, which are clearly against the law, must be removed immediately, Arcan emphasized that this struggle is carried out not only for the disappeared individuals but also for collective memory and universal human rights. Adding that the voices silenced by official history must be heard and made visible, she stated that they will never surrender to despair, no matter how much the conditions are made more difficult.

The legal obstacles and the intensive security measures taken around the square have deepened the victimization of the families. Speaking after the press statement, İkbal Eren, one of the relatives of the disappeared, stated that they were in the square to ask about the fate of her brother, Hayrettin Eren, and harshly criticized the imposition of the 10-person limit. Noting that there were actually hundreds of families of the disappeared in front of her, but only 10 people were allowed inside due to police barricades and bans, she demanded an immediate end to this unlawful practice. Similarly, Maside Ocak stated that while mothers and siblings try to heal wounds that have been open for decades, they are faced with new victimizations. Stating that today even the third generation has taken over this honorable struggle in the square, but families are forced to wait on the sidelines due to the bans, Ocak emphasized that the closure of the squares will never break their determination.

One of the biggest and most painful demands of the families participating in the demonstration is the full disclosure of the security and intelligence archives held by the state. Hanım Tosun, the wife of Fehim Tosun, who disappeared in custody in 1995, started her words by reminding that the photos they carry in their hands and the painful stories they tell are known to everyone. Wanting the years of uncertainty they have experienced to finally end, Tosun addressed the authorities, crying out, 'Show us the truth that stands in the state's archives and at least give us a gravestone.' Stating that they will remain in the squares until the archives are opened and that she will not let go of the state's collar with both hands, Tosun clearly stated that they will never take a step back from their righteous cause. Stating that this search for justice will continue until not a single disappeared person remains, she demanded that the state fulfill its historical and legal responsibility.

It is observed that even though years pass, the struggle continues to be passed down from generation to generation, and the determination of the families is growing stronger. Hasan Karakoç, the brother of Rıdvan Karakoç, stated that they will never give up on this search for justice and demand for rights, even if 2000 years pass. He stated that perhaps their own lifetimes might not be enough to see this truth, but the children they leave behind will continue the same honorable struggle with determination. He emphasized that they will have a presence in Galatasaray Square and in every aspect of life until the last perpetrator is tried and the fate of all the disappeared is definitively clarified. The demonstration, which has been ongoing for over a century of sessions, once again came to an end with the slogans 'Let the truth be revealed, let the disappeared be found, let the perpetrators be judged' echoing in the square.