The Saturday Mothers, a collective of families affected by enforced disappearances in Turkey, marked their 991st protest in Istanbul’s Galatasaray Square. This week, they spotlighted the symbolic case of Hasan Ocak’s disappearance in 1995.
Hasan Ocak, a teacher awaiting appointment and running a tea shop, was detained on 21 March 1995, amidst the turmoil following the Gazi Massacre. His last words to his family were about not needing to prepare dinner as he would bring fish that night, but he then vanished. Despite initial denials of his detention by the police, the Ocak family’s persistent appeals to various governmental and legal institutions led to public statements from officials asserting Ocak was neither in detention nor sought for any crime. However, evidence and witness testimonies suggested otherwise, indicating he was seen at the police station.
After a 58-day search, Ocak’s body was discovered in a pauper’s cemetery, showing clear signs of severe torture. This discovery prompted an apology from the then-State Minister Responsible for Human Rights, acknowledging Ocak had been detained for interrogation, tortured, killed and his body disposed of in Beykoz. Despite this, efforts by the Ocak family for a thorough investigation and justice were met with inconclusive responses. The European Court of Human Rights in 2004 found the investigation into Ocak’s disappearance and death inadequate, declaring a violation against Turkey, yet the domestic legal process remains stalled. Amidst an intensifying “culture of impunity”, the Saturday Mothers, including during their 991st protest, continue to demand justice for Ocak, emphasising their unwavering commitment to seek truth and accountability.
The Saturday Mothers (Cumartesi Anneleri in Turkish) are a group of protesters in Turkey, primarily consisting of the mothers, but also including family members and supporters, of individuals who have disappeared under custody since the 1980s. They have been gathering every Saturday since 1995 in Galatasaray Square, Istanbul, holding photographs of their missing loved ones and demanding justice and information about their fates. Their peaceful demonstrations were inspired by similar movements in Latin America, notably the Plaza de Mayo mothers in Argentina, who demanded information about their children who disappeared during the military dictatorship.
The Gazi Massacre refers to a series of violent events in March 1995 in Istanbul’s Gazi district, home to many Alevi Kurds. It commenced on 12 March with unidentified gunmen, suspected to be deep-state operatives intending to provoke unrest to justify increased militarisation of Kurdish-Alevi neighbourhoods, attacking a café. This sparked extensive riots and clashes with the police, culminating in 15 deaths and hundreds of injuries.
Subsequently, Adem Albayrak, an officer dismissed and convicted for his role in killing demonstrators, implicated former Istanbul police chief Necdet Menzir, governor Hayri Kozakçıoğlu and security director Mehmet Ağar as the instigators, asserting, “They issued the orders. Yet, it was us who served time”. In response, lawyers urged that this admission warrants launching investigations against Menzir, Ağar and Kozakçıoğlu for inciting murder, leading to legal action against them, to no avail.
