Turkish police detain Saturday Mothers in Galatasary Square on 28th anniversary of their vigil

Duvar English

The Turkish police on May 27 once again prevented the Saturday Mothers, who have been staging sit-in protests in Istanbul’S Galatasaray Square since 1995 demanding the fate of their relatives who disappeared under custody and the prosecution of the perpetrators during the 28th anniversary of their gatherings. The police detained 18 members of the group.

The Constitutional Court (AYM) on Feb. 23 ruled that the ban on the 700th-week gathering of the Saturday Mothers and the police intervention against it was a “violation of the right to organize meetings and demonstrations.” The top court stated, "The group's desire to hold a sit-in and a press statement with the aim of finding their disappeared relatives and raising public awareness must be met with respect in a democratic society." 

Every Saturday for nine weeks since the AYM decision was announced, the Saturday Mothers have been trying to make a press statement by leaving carnations at Galatasaray Square and have been detained by the police.

On their Twitter account, Saturday Mothers stated, “For 28 years, we have searched for our loved ones forcibly disappeared in detention, for which we meet at our site of memory, Galatasaray Square. Today, at the 28th anniversary of our gathering, we were once again unlawfully detained with our carnations.” 

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