Emine Şenyaşar, a Kurdish mother demanding justice for the murder of her husband and two sons, has resumed vigil outside the Turkish Ministry of Justice in Ankara. This follows a temporary suspension of her protest, which began in 2018 after a deadly incident involving gunmen linked to a then-member of parliament from Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).
The Şenyaşar family, including Emine’s surviving son Ferit Şenyaşar, a newly elected MP from the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party, began a daily vigil in Urfa (Riha) during March 2021, subsequently moving their sit-in protest to Ankara in July 2023. The family’s struggle for justice drew renewed attention with a press statement at Parliament on Monday, after a health break while Emine undertook surgery.
The murders took place in the run-up to Turkey’s 2018 general election, when an altercation between the Şenyaşar family and an entourage accompanying AKP MP İbrahim Halil Yıldız escalated into violence at the Şenyaşar’s shop, resulting in multiple injuries and the death of the MP’s brother, Mehmet Şah Yıldız, one of the entourages. Three members of the Şenyaşar family were hospitalised with gunshots and were attacked again in the emergency room. All three lost their lives in the second attack.
Son Fadıl Şenyaşar was arrested for killing his attacker, Mehmet Şah Yıldız, and later sentenced to 37 years. He has been behind bars since. Emine Şenyaşar demands the release of her son, citing contrary evidence. On the 49th day of the Ankara vigil, the Minister of Justice had agreed to meet Emine, acknowledging the injustice. Ferit Şenyaşar said the ministry had “asked for patience”.
Five months have passed since the meeting and still the family cite no progress, reporting further restrictions on their rights.
The Şenyaşar family demand Yıldız is held to account for the violence. Only one person was convicted over the death of the three Şenyaşars. MP Yıldız’s relative Enver Yıldız was sentenced to 18 years in prison, enjoying a reduced sentence due to what the court called “unjust provocation”.
The family’s renewed protest coincides with the start of Ramadan, and they plan to mark commitment to the cause with an iftar (traditional Ramadan ceremony) in front of the Ministry of Justice, underlining a call for justice for all those affected by such injustice.
