The first meeting of the Saturday Mothers was 16 years ago

29 May 2011


The relatives of the disappeared people of Turkey met in Istanbul for the first time 16 years ago

Sixteen years ago, on 28 May 1995, a group of mostly women from different age groups met in Galatasaray Square, in the central Taksim area of Istanbul and sat down in front of the Galatasaray School. They were holding pictures of mostly men, from different age groups. On the picture the name of the man and a word which was to become known also to foreigners, kayip, disappeared. The Saturday Mothers, as they then called themselves because of their meeting in Galatasaray (and later in many other squares) square every Saturday, started their weekly vigil 16 years ago. They have been harassed, attacked, injured, beaten, arrested. And yet they are in the squares every Saturday to claim justice for their disappeared relatives.

Last Saturday Maside Ocak, sister of Hasan Ocak (who disappeared in 1995) spoke of the silent cry the relatives of the disappeared have raised from the Saturday Squares for 16 years.

Ocak, remarking that they were 20 persons when they first went to the Saturday Square, said that: “We have not found our disappeared family members but we have made ourselves known, we have imposed our presence and existence to those not recognizing us. We continued our act against those who accused us, called us terrorists 16 years ago. We couldn’t take the offenders to court but we stopped disappearances under detention. Our struggle will continue until the responsible are brought to book. Three generations are looking for their disappeared relatives here. We will not desist from our struggle even if it continues along 10 generations.”

Hanife Yıldız, whose son disappeared under detention in 1996, began her speech by remembering her husband who lost his life searching for the murderers of his son. She said: "Those who give all kinds of promises at election meetings haven’t given our disappeared relatives to us. They spoke about an initiative policy but they introduced crazy projects. They didn’t find the disappeared. Those who disappeared our relatives know where they are now, not us.”

Referring to the attacks on students in Dolmabahce, Hanife Yıldız spoke as follows: “Will they attack us in the same way when we stage a sit-in-act there? I want nothing except from my son who was sacrificed to them. Do you know what it means for a family not to know the burial place of their child? I am calling on to the people with good conscience, not to the state authorities. Let’s move together and resist against this system.”

Hasan Ocak was a political activist.

He had participated in the rebellion in the district of Gazi (Istanbul) in 1995. It was after this uprising, on 21st of March, that Hasan was kidnapped by political police. Five days later, after being severely tortured, he was murdered by being strangled with a wire. He joined the list of people who went missing while in custody. As a result of a mighty struggle that was led by his friends, comrades and family and by the relatives of other people missing in custody, Hasan’s body was recovered on 19th of May 1995.



NUCAN CUDI - BERNA OZGENCIL - ANF / ISTANBUL

ANF NEWS AGENCY