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Saturday Mothers protests in Turkey

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2026-08-29 14:04 UTC → 2026-09-05 20:12 UTC · added ~~removed~~

The Saturday Mothers have continued their weekly gatherings at Istanbul's Galatasaray Square to demand accountability for enforced disappearances. During their 1115th gathering, the group reiterated demands for justice for teacher Süleyman Cihan, who died following alleged torture during detention in 1981. While authorities previously attributed his death to suicide or conflict, family members maintain he was killed in custody; the case was previously closed due to the statute of limitations. The group also addressed a ‘framework law’ accepted by the Justice Commission, arguing that any democratization or peace processes must include mechanisms for truth, justice, and reparation—such as the opening of state archives and the establishment of truth commissions. In their 1116th week, the group called for justice regarding the 1993 disappearance of Nadir Nayci, a 65-year-old father of seven in Cizre. His family believes he may have been detained in Kuştepe, an area reportedly used for executions by Hizbullah with JİTEM support. Family members noted that when Nayci's son reported the disappearance to the then Cizre District Gendarmerie Commander, Captain Cemal Temizöz, the request for military assistance was denied, with the commander suggesting the son search for his father himself. During their 1117th gathering, the group demanded answers regarding Mustafa Mehmet Günkan, a village headman from Akçayurt, Diyarbakır, who has been missing for 32 years. Following a village evacuation in June 1994, Günkan reportedly sought assistance after suffering torture. On August 18, 1994, he was allegedly seen being placed on a military helicopter at the Topçular Gendarmerie Station, after which his whereabouts became unknown. At their 1118th weekly protest, the group marked the period ahead of the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances on August 30. During their 1119th vigil, the group demanded justice for Fethi Ildır, an 18-year-old forcibly disappeared in 1993 in Şırnak province. Witnesses and family accounts suggest Ildır was detained by individuals allegedly linked to the Hizbullah organization while traveling from İdil to Cizre. Although official records initially denied his detention, his body was discovered on September 19, 1993, near the Cizre-İdil highway with signs of severe torture.

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