Saturday Mothers gathered this week to demand information on the fate of Mehmet İnan and Maksut Tepeli. In this week’s demonstration, they also called for ‘No!’ in the referendum against the authoritarian regime.
Saturday Mothers gathered for week 619 of their demonstration in the Galatasaray Square with the demand that the fates of their forcibly disappeared relatives are revealed and the known perpetrators be put on trial, this week demanding information on the fate of Mehmet İnan, disappeared in Siirt in 1994. HDP MP Pervin Buldan, CHP MP Sezgin Tanrıkulu, Hrant Dink’s son Arat Dink attended the demonstration and sent their good wishes to Saturday Mother Hanım Tosun who is in the hospital.
Hanefi Yıldız, mother of disappeared Murat Yıldız, gave the first speech in the demonstration. Yıldız pointed out that they started the justice watch 21 years ago and said: “While I was wondering how I ended up here, suddenly, a century has passed.” Yıldız stated that justice was never found in that square and protested the then-Prime Minister, now-President who said “There have been no disappearances under our government”, mentioning Roboski, Gezi, Cizre and Sur. Yıldız reminded the crowd that Erdoğan was bouncing from opening to opening while people were dying one by one and said: “When people are dying, one moment he is a cinema star, then he is the bully of Kasımpaşa, and now he wants to be president.” Yıldız stressed that they will continue to demand answers for their disappeared relatives and added: “Even if we die, we will find you and we will demand answers.”
CHP MP Sezgin Tanrıkulu said Turkey’s history is filled with pain and added: “This square is the square for the consciousness of mothers. We will strive for a world with no death.”
“This is a square that touches the hearts,” said HDP MP Pervin Buldan, and continued: “Many mothers are no longer with us, before they could find their disappeared. They should rest in peace, we will continue to demand answers for the disappeared.” Buldan stressed the need for peace, democracy and law, and referring to the Saturday Mothers, added: “The voice and the power of such a great conscience will bring peace to these lands. Peace will come when the disappeared are found and the perpetrators are put on trial.” Buldan called on the state and said: “This country needs peace, justice and law. To establish these, first they need to reveal the fate of the disappeared.”
