PELİN ÖZKAPTAN

İstanbul- The sit-in protest held by Saturday Mothers every Saturday at Galatasaray Square to ask the whereabouts of their disappeared relatives and demand the prosecution of the perpetrators was banned on its 700th week by former Justice Minister Süleyman Soylu. Although Turkey's Constitutional Court (AYM) has ruled twice that the ban on the sit-in is a violation of freedom of assembly, police keep attacking and detaining Saturday Mothers/People whenever they try to gather at the square.

In an interview with NuJINHA, Besna Tosun, one of the Saturday Mothers/People, commented on the ban, how the Galatasaray Square is important and the policies of the state from the 90s to today.

‘The aim of the state is to cover up its crimes’

Besna Tosun’s father Fehmi Tosun was detained in Istanbul in 1995 and subsequently disappeared in police custody. Besna Tosun has asked the whereabouts of her father since then. “We, as Saturday Mothers, have revealed the crimes committed by the state and made them visible. The aim of the state is, of course, to silence us and cover up its crimes,” she said.

 ‘Committing crimes becomes a tradition for the state’

Noting that each ruling party targets them, she added, “The reason why they attack us is known. Because we always say that forced disappearance in custody is a crime against humanity. Therefore, this crime continues until the disappeared are found and those who caused the forced disappearance stand trial. The AKP government is also a party to this crime because it ignores this crime, covers it up, and leaves the perpetrators unpunished. Each ruling party targets us because we refuse to keep silent, we keep struggling. Committing crimes becomes a tradition for the state.”

‘We knew that Turkey was not a state of law’

In her speech, Besna Tosun stated that the rights violations were committed not only against the Saturday Mothers but also against many groups in the country. “We see that Turkey is not a state of law. Turkey has ignored the decisions of the ECHR and its Constitutional Court many times.” Besna Tosun also talked about their legal struggle as follows:

“When our sit-in was banned on its 700th week, we took legal steps. After five years, the AYM ruled twice that the ban on the sit-in is a violation of freedom of assembly. After this decision, we held a press conference and called on the authorities to lift the ban. Before gathering at Galatasaray Square, we requested a meeting with the governor's office, district governor's office and the Minister of Interior; however, we received no response. Then, we decided to gather at the square on April 8. Before gathering at the square, we had known that we would face obstacles because we knew that Turkey was not a state of law. For 22 weeks, we have taken to the streets to demand the implementation of the decision of the Constitutional Court; however, we have been subjected to police violence every week. Although we commit no crime, we are battered and face mistreatment by police every week.”

We asked Besna Tosun what has changed since the 90s when thousands disappeared and more were killed by unknown persons. “Only methods have changed,” she told us. Commenting on the families who have been recently given their relatives’ bones in boxes, Besna Tosun said, “This is disrespectful to the dead.”

“Our relatives disappeared in police custody, they punished us over our relatives. They target us because we struggle against this policy. They target us because we do not keep silent. Delivering dead bodies in boxes is a way to punish their families.

 ‘We face a state that does not recognize law’

“Imagine a mother, whose son left home alive in the morning. 20 years later, she is given a box and told, ‘This is your son’. In the past, our relatives disappeared in police custody, today families are given their relatives’ bones in boxes. Now, they are more professional in committing crimes. People are not disappeared in custody but they are subjected to torture in custody. For instance, Gökhan Güneş, a member of the ESP (Socialist Party of the Oppressed) was kidnapped by police and no information was received from him for days. Thanks to the efforts of his friends and the Human Rights Association, he was found. He had been subjected to torture in custody for days. Now, we face a state that does not recognize law.”

‘The aim is to silence society’

Besna Tosun thinks the recent policies aim to silence society. “They aim to scare and silence society by carrying out these policies. People are told, ‘If you oppose, you will face these’. When one person disappears, hundreds, parents, relatives and friends, become victims.”

‘Many mothers see Galatasaray as the grave of their children’

Speaking about why Galatasaray square is important for them, Besna Tosun said,“They do not want to understand how Galatasaray Square is important. But they are aware that it is actually a place of memoryA square in the heart of Istanbul has been under a 24/7 police blockade for five years. This is terrible. However, they are not aware that they make that memory visible by doing this. We are told, “Why do you hold your protest here, go and hold your protest somewhere else. Many mothers see the Galatasaray Square as the grave of their children. That’s why they gather there every week. Therefore, saying 'give up on this square' means ‘give up on your loved ones’. We will not give up on this square and our loved ones.”