The Saturday Mothers, along with human rights defenders across Turkey, gathered on 17 August to demand justice for their missing loved ones. In Istanbul, the group held its 1,012th sit-in at Galatasaray Square, focusing on the case of Abdurrahim Demir, who disappeared after being taken into custody by security forces in Kızıltepe, Mardin (Mêrdîn), on 17 August 1995.
Similar sit-ins took place in several Kurdish cities, including Diyarbakır (Amed), Batman (Êlih), and Hakkari (Colemêrg), where relatives of the disappeared gathered to voice their demands. In Diyarbakır, the Human Rights Association (İHD) and families of the disappeared convened at Koşuyolu Park in the Rêzan (Bağlar) district, holding photos of their missing loved ones and calling for justice.
In Batman, the 646th weekly sit-in was held at the Human Rights Monument on Gülistan Street, where the story of İbrahim Çelik and his son Edip Çelik, who disappeared in August 1994, was shared. In Hakkari’s Gever district, the 134th sit-in was dedicated to the memory of İslam Terkoğlu, who was killed by security forces in 2006.
During the gathering in Istanbul, Ayşe Tepe, representing the Saturday Mothers, condemned the state’s ongoing denial of responsibility for the disappearances. “The biggest obstacle to justice in cases of state-connected crimes in Turkey is the politics of denial,” she stated. “Despite witnesses, documents, and evidence, our pleas for justice have been dismissed as ‘abstract claims’, preventing any meaningful legal action.”
Tepe also recounted the details of Abdurrahim Demir’s disappearance. Demir was detained at a checkpoint by soldiers while traveling to Adana on 17 August 1995. Despite witness testimony that he was taken to Şevalet Gendarmerie Station, authorities later denied his detention. The Demir family’s search for him was met with threats and false claims that he had left the country.
Nearly three decades later, the Demir family still has no answers. “For 20 years, Kesriye Demir waited for her son, and Mehmet Demir searched for answers for 23 years, but both died without knowing what happened to Abdurrahim,” Tepe shared.
The ongoing sit-ins across Kurdish cities, alongside the Saturday Mothers’ weekly gathering in Istanbul, reflect the persistent demand for an end to the policy of impunity in Turkey. “No matter how many years pass, we will not stop demanding justice for Abdurrahim Demir and all our disappeared loved ones,” Tepe vowed.
The events concluded with participants in Istanbul leaving carnations at the police barricades surrounding Galatasaray Square, a symbol of their unwavering pursuit of justice despite ongoing state repression.
