The Turkish government was urged to release archived footage of the Şenyaşar family murders during mother Emine Şenyaşar’s Justice Vigil in Ankara on Thursday.
Emine Şenyaşar’s Justice Vigil, which began in Urfa (Riha) and moved to Ankara, marked its 75th day on Thursday. She was accompanied by her son, Ferit Şenyaşar, an MP for the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party from Urfa. The vigil was visited by representatives from various organisations including the Ankara Chamber of Medicine, the DEM Party and the Labour Party (EMEP).
Muharrem Baytemur, president of the Ankara Chamber of Medicine, highlighted the ongoing legal injustices in the country, stating, “The law has never sided with the oppressed. There is a great injustice happening now. The Şenyaşar family members were murdered inside a healthcare facility. Sadly, the records within this health institution were destroyed, but there must be footage in the state archives. This struggle is as significant and valuable as the one waged by the Saturday Mothers for the disappeared.”
Lawyer Abdurrahman Karabulut also remarked on the widespread struggle for justice. “There are thousands of families fighting for justice. One of the perpetrators of the attack on the Şenyaşar family is still freely roaming among us. The state could apprehend this perpetrator within a few hours if it wished to, but as the murderers are pro-government, it does not suit them to do so,” he argued, adding that “the quest for justice will truly be realised through the solidarity of Turkish and Kurdish mothers.”
On 14 June 2018, during a pre-election visit by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) MP İbrahim Halil Yıldız to a shop in Suruç, Urfa, owned by the Şenyaşar family, a dispute erupted. Esved Şenyaşar and his sons were attacked at their shop and the violence spilled over to Suruç State Hospital where further assaults occurred. At the hospital, Esved and his son Adil were killed by individuals reportedly related to the AKP MP and their associates. This incident led to separate trials for the shop and hospital events.
The case has been marred by allegations of evidence tampering, as the hospital’s security footage crucial for the investigation was stolen. Emine Şenyaşar and her son Ferit have persistently sought justice, staging protests and facing a complex legal battle that remains unresolved.
