ISTANBUL- Saturday Mothers gathered at Istanbul's Galatasaray Square for 657th time to call for justice for their disappeared loved ones. The mothers pointed out that the perpetrators of disappeared Dursun Tekin were awarded with impunity and they reported that Ali Rıza Toraman, who looked for his son Hüseyin Toraman for 26 years, had been passed away three days ago. “We promise to Uncle Ali Rıza and Mother Elif, we will continue to be their voice,” said the mothers.

 

Saturday Mothers held their sit-in at Istanbul’s Galatasaray Square for 657th time with red carnations and a banner reading “The perpetrators are known, where the disappeared are?” In this week in protest, the mothers pointed out that the perpetrators of Dursun Tekin, who was disappeared in custody 22 years ago, were awarded with impunity. And the mothers reported that Ali Rıza Toraman, who looked for his son Hüseyin Toraman for 26 years, had been passed away three days ago.

 

Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Istanbul MPs Hüda Kaya and Pervin Buldan joined the protest this week. Hanım Tosun, one of Saturday Mothers, stated that they carry out protest at Saturday Square as families of the forcibly disappeared and she said that some members of these families passed away. Saying that one of those who passed away is Ali Rıza Toraman, Hanım added, “Their struggle load is now on our shoulders. We promise to Uncle Ali Rıza and Mother Elif, we will continue to be their voice. We carry the load they left on our shoulders. We will continue our struggle until the perpetrators are tried. Those who govern the country don’t know what are pain, law and justice. They should put themselves into our shoes. We will never give up this struggle.”

 

HDP Istanbul MP Hüda Kaya also made a speech and she recalled that the Saturday Mothers are fighting for a handful of land. Saying that they stand up for those who lost their lives while fighting, Hüda added, “We will continue to be voice of their struggle.”

 

Leyla Kaya read the statement on behalf of Saturday People and she shared information on 21-year-old Düzgün Tekin known with his socialist identity. Leyla stated that the family of Düzgün had been followed by police for a week and Düzgün had written down the number of plate of one of the cars following them and left the paper reading 34 F 6676. Leyla said, “Düzgün Tekin left the house of his relatives in Güneşli Evren Neighborhood, Istanbul on October 21, 1995 to go to work in Bayrampaşa. No news has been received from him since then. After that day, the car waiting outside of the house did not come back.”

 

Recalling that confessor Kasım Açık had links with JİTEM (Gendarmerie Intelligence and Anti-Terror) made a statement on Düzgün Tekin 18 months later, Leyla said, “Kasım Açık said that Düzgün Tekin had been killed by a JİTEM unit; consist of soldiers, police and confessors. And he said they had buried the body of Düzgün Tekin in Çadırkent Garbage, located in army area near Edirne. Düzgün’s family, his friends and human rights defenders went to garbage to find their son’s body on May 27, 1997 but the authorities conducted a search perfunctorily and they got no result.”

 

Saying that the perpetrators of disappeared Dursun Tekin were awarded with impunity, Leyla added, “The father Veli Tekin,who tried to find the bones of his son with his hands in Çadırkent Garbage, passed away without finding his son. His mother Elif Tekin are still looking for her son.”