Saturday Mothers/People Demand Justice for 25 Years: We Will Never Give up

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Asking the fate and whereabouts of the enforced disappeared in Turkey and demanding justice for their disappeared loved ones since May 27, 1995, Saturday Mothers/People were in Galatasaray Square in Taksim, İstanbul on the 25th anniversary of their struggle today (May 27).

Placing carnations at the square in memory of their losses, they said, "25 years ago today, on May 27, 1995, we took to Galatasaray and said 'We want our lost ones.' We have once again exclaimed that we will give up neither our losses nor Galatasaray, our meeting place with them."

Since their 700th gathering on August 25, 2018, Saturday Mothers/People have been prevented from holding their weekly sit-in protests in Galatasaray. Due to novel coronavirus outbreak, they have been sharing their weekly statements with the public on social media for some time now.

To mark the 25th anniversary of their struggle, Saturday Mothers/People have been sharing messages under the hashtag "#KayıplarımızıAramaktanVazgeçmeyeceğiz" (We will not give up searching for our losses). Some of these messages are as follows:

'We will continue our struggle'

Hanım Tosun, the wife of Fehmi Tosun, who was disappeared in custody: "May 17-31 is the International Week of the Disappeared. We are reiterating it, we are once again calling on state authorities: Take a step for the disappeared. If you do not take a step for the disappeared, we will continue our struggle. We will never give up our lost ones or Galatasaray.

"We will haunt you with our both hands. We will continue our struggle till you put the perpetrators on trial. We never give up searching for our losses."

'Defendants acquitted, like a reward'

Eren Baskın, the son of Abdülmecit Baskın, who was disappeared in custody: "My father Abdülmecit Baskın was taken into custody in the middle of Ankara on October 2, 1993 by people in police vests and he was massacred. The lawsuit into his death could only be filed 20 years later and defendants like Mehmet Ağar, İbrahim Şahin, Korkut Eken were acquitted like a reward. Verdicts of acquittal might be given for them, but our demand for justice will never end. We will never give up on this."

'Listen to what Saturday Mothers say'

Faruk Eren, the brother of Hayrettin Eren, who was disappeared in 1980 coup period: "My elder brother Hayrettin Eren was taken into custody on November 21, 1980 following the military coup on September 12, 1980. We did not hear from him after that. There were numerous witnesses who saw both the moment of his detention and his time in detention. But these witness statements were never accepted.

"My elder brother is an enforced disappeared in custody. My elder brother was 26 years old when he was detained and I was 16. I am 56 years old now. He is still my elder brother. The struggle initiated by my mother and father now continues with the Human Rights Association (İHD) and Saturday Mothers. Unfortunately, they could not live long enough to see it.

"But years do not matter. Listen to what Saturday Mothers say until justice is served and the truth is admitted and so that there will be no longer enforced disappeared in this land or anywhere else."

(DB/SD)