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Saturday Mothers seek justice for women disappeared under custody
Turkey's Saturday Mothers gathered for a symbolic 1041st time at Istanbul’s Galatasaray Square and sought justice for women who were forcibly disappeared under custody.
08.03.2025
By Ferhat Yaşar
Source: https://www.duvarenglish.com/saturday-mothers-seek-justice-for-women-disappeared-under-custody-news-65773
Turkey's Saturday Mothers, a group who has been holding vigils for their relatives who disappeared or were killed in suspicious circumstances in the 1990s, held its 1041st gathering on March 8 at Istanbul’s iconic Galatasaray Square.
The group sought justice for 19 women this week, who were forcibly disappeared under custody, for the occasion of International Women’s Day.
In a statement read by Besna Tosun, the group said the Turkish state itself exposes the women to violence instead of protecting them.
The group called on the authorities to allow the feminist marches to be held nationwide, which have been banned for several years.
The group then sought justice for 19 women who were forcibly disappeared during the 1990s.
Five of these women disappeared in 1994 after a gendarmerie operation.
The group said the Turkish gendarmerie teams, consisting of soldiers from Bolu Mountain Commando Brigade Command under the command of Brigadier General Yavuz Ertürk, made an operation near the Gökçek village of the eastern Tunceli province on 23-24 Sept. 1994.
“Those who went to the village after the operation saw that everything had been bombed and houses burned. 3-year-old Dilek Serin, 34-year-old Gülizar and Düzali Serin, 25-year-old Hatun Işık, 20-year-old Elif Işık, 18-year-old Yeter Işık and 60-year-old Haydar Işık, who were in their homes in the operation site, were not heard from again,” it said.
A few days later, Ali Işık went searching for his family, and he also disappeared.
The prosecutors did not conduct “an adequate investigation and did not even visit the scene,” despite the complaints.
“On Oct. 8, 1994, Ali Işık's dead body was found by a shepherd within sight of the Gökçek Police Station. His body was naked, his head was crushed and according to the Forensic Medicine report he had been killed with a firearm.”
However, the case has always been considered as an “unsolved act and murder” by the authorities.
The Saturday Mothers reminded the state and authorities to act within universal norms of law.
Since 1995, the Saturday Mothers have staged a sit-in at Galatasaray Square, demanding answers about their loved ones who disappeared in custody and calling for the prosecution of those responsible.
(English version by Alperen Şen)
Turkey's Saturday Mothers gathered for a symbolic 1041st time at Istanbul’s Galatasaray Square and sought justice for women who were forcibly disappeared under custody.
08.03.2025
By Ferhat Yaşar
Source: https://www.duvarenglish.com/saturday-
Turkey's Saturday Mothers, a group who has been holding vigils for their relatives who disappeared or were killed in suspicious circumstances in the 1990s, held its 1041st gathering on March 8 at Istanbul’s iconic Galatasaray Square.
The group sought justice for 19 women this week, who were forcibly disappeared under custody, for the occasion of International Women’s Day.
In a statement read by Besna Tosun, the group said the Turkish state itself exposes the women to violence instead of protecting them.
The group called on the authorities to allow the feminist marches to be held nationwide, which have been banned for several years.
The group then sought justice for 19 women who were forcibly disappeared during the 1990s.
Five of these women disappeared in 1994 after a gendarmerie operation.
The group said the Turkish gendarmerie teams, consisting of soldiers from Bolu Mountain Commando Brigade Command under the command of Brigadier General Yavuz Ertürk, made an operation near the Gökçek village of the eastern Tunceli province on 23-
“Those who went to the village after the operation saw that everything had been bombed and houses burned. 3-
A few days later, Ali Işık went searching for his family, and he also disappeared.
The prosecutors did not conduct “an adequate investigation and did not even visit the scene,” despite the complaints.
“On Oct. 8, 1994, Ali Işık's dead body was found by a shepherd within sight of the Gökçek Police Station. His body was naked, his head was crushed and according to the Forensic Medicine report he had been killed with a firearm.”
However, the case has always been considered as an “unsolved act and murder” by the authorities.
The Saturday Mothers reminded the state and authorities to act within universal norms of law.
Since 1995, the Saturday Mothers have staged a sit-
(English version by Alperen Şen)