ISTANBUL - Saturday Mother, Raziye Ay, who wanted the bones of her son Aydın Ay, who disappeared in custody 28 years ago, asked: ‘’Why don’t they give us our bones for so many years and days?’’

 

Saturday Mothers held the 849th session of their weekly protests to inquire about the fate of their relatives disappeared in custody and demand punishment of the perpetrators, with a statement they made online due to the epidemic. In the action organized with the slogan ‘’The perpetrators are determined, where are the missings’’, the fate of Aydın Ay, who disappeared after being detained 28 years ago in Batman was asked.

 

Searching for her son’s bones

 

Aydın’s mother, Reziye Ay, who spoke first in the statement, shared the information that her son left the house to buy cigarettes on July 10, 1993, and never returned. Noting that her son was forced into a car and taken away, Raziye said: ‘’For three days, I could not see in front of me. Then I went to the police station and brought him food. I brought his clothes, his ID. I brought him food while he was in custody for 12 days. When the 15th day was over, they said to me, ‘We don't have him, the clothes and the food are here’. On the 15th day, I have the food left in my hands.’’

 

Raziye stated that the police had informed them that her son was not in custody and said: ‘’I am searching for my bones. Why can't I find my bones? Why do they not give us our bones for so many years and days?’’

 

Turkey has never been a state of law

 

Leman Yurtsever, who read the text of the statement on behalf of the Human Rights Association (İHD) Istanbul Branch Commission Against Disappearances, stated that Turkey is not a state of law. Stating that citizens are prevented from living, Leman said: ‘’The climate of lawlessness created by the arbitrary use of force has led to serious violations of rights. The absence of a strong, impartial, and independent judiciary that is the guarantee of democracy; left serious violations of rights unpunished. Turkey has not been able to move to a democratic system where human rights are effectively protected. This situation brought with it the inaction and ineffectiveness of the judicial authorities in the face of crimes against humanity, especially disappearances in custody.’’

 

Leman, conveying the process of Aydın's detention and disappearance, said: ‘’After that day, there was no news from Aydın Ay. All legal attempts made by the family have been inconclusive. The family filed a criminal complaint to the Batman Public Prosecutor's Office in 2009 to revive the file. The application was nonsuited in 2010. The objection made to the Midyat High Criminal Court on May 21, 2010, against the nonsuit was also unsuccessful. The file was left on the dusty shelves of the courthouse. Once again, we call out to the government and the judicial authorities and demand: The torture of the Ay family for 28 years must be ended. An investigation and prosecution should be carried out that will reveal the fate of Aydın Ay, identify those who lost him, and ensure that they are prosecuted.’’

 

‘We will not give up from Galatasaray and disappearances’

 

Stating that they will not stop demanding justice for all the disappeared, Leman said: ‘’We will not give up on Galatasaray, our meeting place for the disappearances, which has been forbidden to us for 150 weeks, reminding that the state has to act within the norms of law.’’