ISTANBUL - Stating that they have been fighting for Galatasaray Square for years, Saturday Mother Hanım Tosun emphasized that they will continue their demonstrations as long as the state's missing persons archive is not disclosed.

 

Saturday Mothers/People, who come together every week in Galatasaray Square to ask about the fate of their relatives who disappeared in custody and to demand the prosecution of the perpetrators, have been continuing their actions for 966 weeks. Saturday Mothers, who have not given up searching for their missing people, now accept Galatasaray Square as a "memory place". However, the Saturday Mothers' protest has been blocked by the decision of the Beyoğlu District Governorate for 26 weeks, despite the "violation" decision of the Constitutional Court (AYM). Saturday Mothers continue their resistance despite this "ban" decision.

 

Ms. Tosun from the Saturday Mothers stated that they have been struggling despite all the pressure, obstruction and attacks for years and asked the state to disclose its lost archives.

 

RANGERS BURNED THE HOUSE OF TOSUN

 

Tosun stated that her husband, Fehim Tosun, was arrested in 1991 for political activities in Amed's Licê district after his house was raided on the allegation of "aiding the organization" and was released after 4 years of detention. Tosun said: "After my husband was released from prison, we settled in Istanbul after their house in the village of Licê Çavundur was burned down by the village guards, and that her husband was constantly followed due to his political activities. We learned this situation when plainclothes police went to the workplace where my 14-year-old son was working at the time and constantly asked about his father. Once, my son was detained by the police. While my son was in custody, the police said, 'If we catch him this time, we will break all his bones alive."

 

CIVILIAN COPS KIDNAPPED TOSUN

 

Stating that shortly after his son was taken into custody, his husband was kidnapped from their home in Avcılar, Istanbul, on October 19, 1995, by people in plainclothes with a walkie-talkie in their hand, and that he and his children also witnessed this incident, Tosun said: "We took the license plate of the police vehicle that kidnapped my husband and as soon as we got it, we went to the police station 5 minutes away from them, but we did not get any results. I went to Gayrettepe Police Station 2 days later. The police said to me, 'It's a shame, you were scared. If you don't tell us what Fehmi does and his friends, what a shame, the sinful man will disappear. Tell us so he doesn't disappear." All my legal attempts since the date of my husband's disappearance have been fruitless and We have not received any news since that day."

 

'THE STATE SHOULD DISCLOSE THE MISSING ARCHIVES'

 

Noting that she thinks Saturday Square as a burial place, Tosun continued as follows: “The whole world heard about Saturday Mothers and Galatasaray Square, but the state did not. The reason for banning the square is that it is not at the expense of the state. Why, because these people disappeared in custody. People have not been lost since the day we, as Saturday Mothers, started our actions. We know very well this prohibition policy of the state. Today, the state wants us to lower our voices with this ban. The state either discloses the archives of those who disappeared or we continue our demonstrations. We also want these perpetrators to be brought to justice and tried. If these are not done, we will not leave the streets and Galatasaray Square. They may have many things to prevent us, but we also have the will."

 

CALL FOR AWARENESS TO THE PUBLIC

 

Stating that the Saturday Mothers' Galatasaray Square protests should be embraced, Tosun said: "Why are these mothers protesting alone, why are they homeless? Why aren't their actions strong? We also need to be with them."

 

MA / Ergin Çağlar