Families of the disappeared and human rights defenders staged protests in five cities across Turkey on Saturday, demanding justice for enforced disappearances and calling for those responsible to be held accountable.
The Saturday Mothers held their 1,016th weekly vigil at Galatasaray Square in İstanbul, demanding justice for Cemil Kırbayır, who never emerged from custody and was among the first to disappear following the military coup of 12 September 1980. “The legacy left to us by Mother Berfo [d. 2013, mother of Cemil Kırbayır] is for us to continue searching for our disappeared, no matter what the obstacles,” they declared, holding carnations and photographs of their missing loved ones. İkbal Eren, the sister of Hayrettin Eren, who also disappeared in custody during the coup, added, “The 12 September military coup left deep scars, and we continue to seek justice for crimes committed during that period.”
The Human Rights Association (İHD) and families of the disappeared held their 814th weekly demonstration at the Right to Life Monument in Koşuyolu Park in Diyarbakır (Amed). Protesters focused on the case of Mehmet Zafer Demirkıran, who was forcibly disappeared after being detained in 1995. “We are here to hold accountable those responsible for enforced disappearances during the Kurdish conflict and will continue our protests until justice is served,” said Ömer Saman, İHD’s Diyarbakır Branch Secretary.
Protestors gathered at the Human Rights Monument on Gülistan Street in Batman (Êlih) for the 650th week, sharing the story of İbrahim Kartay, who went missing after being detained in 1994. Kartay’s disappearance, like many others, was met with official denials. His father, Kadri Kartay, was threatened and shot at by the authorities when he inquired about his son’s whereabouts.
Demonstrators held their 140th weekly protest in Yüksekova (Gever) in Hakkari (Colemêrg), to demand justice for Metin Kıratlı, a 10-year-old boy killed in 1992 by gunfire from a military outpost. “No matter how much time passes, we will continue to fight for our missing loved ones,” said Ozan Akbaş, a representative of İHD’s Hakkari branch.
Meanwhile, the İHD staged a protest outside the old Sümerbank building in İzmir, focusing on the case of Kenan Bilgin, who disappeared after being detained in 1994. Although witness testimonies confirmed that Bilgin had been arrested, Turkish authorities continue to deny this had happened. His court case was closed in 2014 due to the statute of limitations, in spite of a European Court of Human Rights ruling condemning Turkey for the disappearance.
“We will never stop searching for our disappeared,” declared the families and human rights advocates, vowing to continue their struggle for justice in spite of ongoing state denials and legal setbacks.
