The Saturday Mothers gathered for the 986th time in Galatasaray Square in Istanbul, persisting in their demands for accountability for the enforced disappearances and killings of their loved ones at the hands of Turkish security forces while in custody.
This week’s protest centred on Rıdvan Karakoç, who disappeared in Istanbul in 1995 while in police custody. İkbal Eren, a representative of the Saturday Mothers, read the press statement, placing emphasis on their unwavering search for truth and justice despite the state’s failure to fulfil its obligations under international law to prevent and punish enforced disappearances.
Eren shared the distressing history of Rıdvan Karakoç, a 34-year-old who was actively involved with Kurdish political parties and cultural institutions. After being targeted based on the statement of another detainee in 1994, Karakoç’s home came under constant surveillance by the police, who threatened his family with violence if he was not handed over. His communication with family and lawyers ceased on 15 February 1995, and following an intense 110-day search, his torture-ridden body was found in Altınşehir Cemetery for the Unclaimed. Despite clear evidence of his identity being available, including fingerprints, he was buried as an unidentified person.
The Saturday Mothers highlighted the absence of an effective investigation into Karakoç’s disappearance and criticised the Turkish state’s disregard for their citizenship rights. Eren declared their resolve to continue demanding justice for Karakoç and all other disappeared individuals, reminding the judiciary of its duty to uncover the truth and hold the responsible parties accountable. The protest concluded with the laying of carnations in the square.
Meanwhile, the Human Rights Association (İHD) and relatives of the disappeared in the Kurdish-majority cities of Diyarbakır (Amed), Batman (Êlih) and Hakkari (Colemêrg) also held events to query the fate of their missing loved ones, including Mehmet Mehdi Akdeniz, Tahir Aslan, Mehmet Ali Aslan and Abdulkerim Vardar, whose killers they demand be brought to justice.
