The Saturday Mothers were heard at the 5th meeting of the National Solidarity, Brotherhood, and Democracy Commission in the Turkish Parliament on Wednesday. With flowers and pictures of their missing relatives, the Saturday Mothers have been holding a vigil at Galatasaray Square in Istanbul every Saturday since 1995. They demand justice for the victims of enforced disappearances and state violence in Turkey and to ensure that perpetrators are brought to justice. This week, they will hold their 1065th vigil against “disappearances” in state custody.
İkbal Yarıcı: I seek justice for all the victims of enforced disappearances
Saturday Mother İkbal Yarıcı demanded justice for her brother, who disappeared while in custody, and for all the victims of enforced disappearances.
“We cannot talk about today without talking about the past,” said İkbal Yarıcı, recalling that her brother, Hayrettin Eren, was born in 1954, graduated from Istanbul University with a degree in English, but was never able to practice his profession. “My brother left home in 1980 to meet with a friend. When the police learned of this meeting, they arrested him and took him to the Fatih Karagümrük Police Station,” she said.
Ikbal Yarıcı said her family went to the police station as soon as they learned about the incident: “The police checked the detention register and said that the detainees had been sent to the Istanbul Security Directorate. When we went there, we were told that they weren’t there. Our car could be seen in the police station’s yard. Every time my mother asked, the police battered her and pushed her away. When we returned to the Fatih Karagümrük Police Station, they told us, ‘You were misinformed.’”
İkbal Yarıcı stated that her purpose in joining the commission was “to ensure justice for my brother and all those who have disappeared in custody.”
She continued, “We must not forget the psychological torture suffered by those left behind. I believe that the National Solidarity, Brotherhood, and Democracy Commission requesting a meeting with the Saturday Mothers is an important step both for us as relatives of the disappeared and for the country’s democracy. I want to believe that this commission is solution-oriented and sincere. If we truly wish to live in a democratic country together, these wounds must be healed. For this, I believe a commission must be established that will proceed through scientific methods, uncover the truth, and produce the right solutions—a commission in which we will also have a place.”
Mesude Ocak: A Truth Commission should be established
Mesude Ocak, a Saturday Mother, said the following regarding the case of her brother, Hasan Ocak: “My brother was a primary school teacher waiting to be assigned. He was working as a tea server in an office building. We were living in Avcılar. One day, he went out to buy pastries and never returned home. Our waiting and searching, and the fact that we couldn’t get any results through legal channels, brought us together. We want you to understand why we went to Galatasaray. For 699 weeks, we held peaceful gatherings. On August 25, 2018, we faced severe police violence. Galatasaray Square has been closed to us since that date. After the European Court of Human Rights sent its decision to the governor’s office and the district governor’s office to avoid new violations, the Constitutional Court ruled that the square should be opened. However, Galatasaray Square is still closed. Despite the absence of any criminal elements, we have been unlawfully detained 29 times. We demand that Galatasaray Square be opened to all human rights defenders. Additionally, a Truth Commission should be established.
Besna Tosun: Our entire family has been searching for that vehicle for 30 years
Besna Tosun, a Saturday Mother, said, “My mother looked down and saw three people forcing my father into a white Toros car. At the same time, we heard my mother and father screaming. The youngest of us was 5, the oldest was 14. We ran downstairs; they were forcing my father into the car. My brother was 14 years old, and the person in the car said, ‘Come, let’s put you in too.’ The entire neighborhood ran into the street, but the car sped away, and we couldn’t catch up. We have been searching for the white Toros with license plate number 34 UD 597. For 30 years, our entire family has been searching for that vehicle. My father, Fehmi Tosun, was taken from our home on October 19, 1995. None of the legal avenues we have pursued over the past 30 years have yielded any results. All state institutions have denied that my father was ever detained. The government stated to the European Court of Human Rights, ‘Our government is sorry for the disappearance of Fehmi Tosun.’ Our appeals against the decisions were rejected; all avenues for seeking justice have been closed to us.”
Demands of Saturday Mothers
“Our goal is to reveal the truth and ensure justice,” said Besna Tosun, listing the common demands of the Saturday Mothers as follows:
“* The decisions of the European Court of Human Rights and the Constitutional Court should be implemented,
* The arbitrary ban on Galatasaray Square should end,
* A Truth Commission should be established as a subcommittee of the National Solidarity, Brotherhood, and Democracy Commission to investigate disappearances in custody,
* The state should acknowledge its responsibility for disappearances in custody,
* The fate of those who disappeared in custody should be revealed, and their remains should be handed over to their families,
* Impunity for perpetrators and those responsible for enforced disappearances should be ended and justice ensured,
* Legislation should be enacted to recognize enforced disappearances as crimes against humanity, prevent them, and sentence them. The statute of limitations should be removed as a means of impunity. No one should ever be disappeared again,
* Turkey should sign, ratify, and implement the UN Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance and the Rome Statute establishing the International Criminal Court, which it has refrained from signing. Peace is not merely the absence of weapons. Peace is the expression of truth, the establishment of justice and a social responsibility that will continue until the voices of the victims are heard.”
Source: ANF News
