Zeycan Yedigöl, one of the Saturday Mothers who have been demanding justice for their disappeared relatives in Istanbul since 1995, has lost her life aged 98.

Yedigöl had been demanding justice for her son for 39 years. Her son Nurettin Yedigöl has been disappeared since he was taken into custody by state forces in Istanbul on 10 April 1981.

The funeral ceremony at Cemevi (Alevi place of worship) was attended by her family members and relatives.

A statement made by the Saturday Mothers Initiative said, “Rest in peace our Mother Zeycan. Your insistence to reach Nurettin and to ensure justice is entrusted to us. You did not forget; we will not forget either. You did not forgive; we will not forgive either. You did not give up; we will not give up either.”

BACKGROUND

On May 27, 1995, the Saturday Mothers sat down for the first time in front of the Galatasaray High School on the busy Istiklal Avenue in Istanbul to demand clarification of the fate of their relatives who had "disappeared" after their arrest by state forces and to demand punishment of the perpetrators. They have since repeated this demand 792 times every week. Since the 700th week, they have been denied access to Galatasaray Square by the Turkish authorities, so their weekly rallies are held in a small side street in front of the Istanbul branch of the Human Rights Association (IHD),