“We wanted to relate how this struggle is being denied with impunity,” said Berke Baş, director of the documentary Dargeçit, which addresses the extrajudicial killings and disappearances in custody that Turkey has avoided confronting since the 1990s. Directed by Baş and produced by Enis Köstepen, the documentary has made waves for its compelling portrayal of Turkey’s unresolved cases of forced disappearances and extrajudicial killings. The film won the Best Documentary prize at the 43rd Istanbul Film Festival, sponsored by the Hafıza Merkezi (Memory Centre).
“Dargeçit” delves into the harrowing stories of seven individuals, including three children, who disappeared in 1995 in the town of Dargeçit, Mardin (Mêrdîn). Among the victims were Davut Altınkaynak (12), Seyhan Doğan and Nedim Akyön (both 13), and Abdullah Olcay, Abdurrahman Coşkun, Mehmet Aslan and Süleyman Seyhan (all 18), who ‘disappeared’ into the custody of security forces.
The documentary’s narrative centres on the trial, for responsibility for the disappearances, of Dargeçit Gendarmerie Intelligence and Counter-Terrorism (JİTEM) in Adıyaman, which concluded on 4 July 2022 with the acquittal of all defendants due to insufficient evidence. Baş asserted that this decision epitomised “the pervasive issue of impunity” in Turkey’s judicial system. He also highlighted that everyone in Turkey is aware of injustices still ongoing, citing the incarceration of figures like Çiğdem Mater, Selahattin Demirtaş and Osman Kavala who were all imprisoned using completely unlawful methods.
Baş emphasised the importance of the continuing struggle for justice of the victims’ families. The documentary features poignant narratives, such as those of Davut Altınkaynak, and Hazni Doğan, the brother of Seyhan Doğan. Hazni’s calm yet poignant account of his brother’s ordeal deeply moved the filmmakers.
The production process was slow and deliberate, beginning in September 2017, with the first shoot in June 2018. Baş explained that the Memory Centre provided the necessary time and space, and producer Enis Köstepen’s patience was instrumental. The team avoided extensive use of archival footage to emphasise that the struggle is ongoing, rather than a relic of the past.
Baş noted the importance of respecting the families’ privacy and security during filming. Given an ongoing state of emergency in the region while they were filming, they faced significant challenges in capturing footage without attracting unwanted attention. Despite these hurdles, the film’s narrative remained focused on honouring the families’ persistence.
Dargeçit has sparked renewed discussion on the cases it covers and has been shown in various cities across Turkey with the support of the Human Rights Association (İHD) and the Saturday Mothers, a group of relatives of the disappeared who have been protesting with a weekly sit-in since the 1990s. At the Istanbul Film Festival awards night, lawyer Veysel Vesek poignantly remarked, “Let us win something for once,” reflecting the film’s profound impact on those involved.
As Turkey grapples with ongoing human rights challenges, Dargeçit stands as a testament to the enduring power of documentary cinema to illuminate and advocate for the forgotten and the voiceless.
