Saturday Mothers demand answers for missing village headman

During their 1,117th weekly gathering at Galatasaray Square, the Saturday Mothers demanded answers regarding the fate of Mustafa Mehmet Günkan, a village headman who has been missing for 32 years.

According to the group, Günkan was the headman of Akçayurt village in the Hani district of Diyarbakır. Following a clash near the village on June 13, 1994, gendarmerie forces reportedly raided and forcibly evacuated the village. Günkan was among hundreds of villagers held in a collection area near the Topçular Gendarmerie Station.

Reports indicate that after being released from detention, Günkan suffered severe torture and sought assistance from government officials and the Human Rights Association in Ankara. On August 18, 1994, after being summoned to the Topçular Gendarmerie Station, Günkan was reportedly seen being placed on a military helicopter, after which all information regarding his whereabouts ceased.