JINHA

ISTANBUL – Saturday Mothers gathered for the 596th time today. “Stop your policies that produce violence and blood and start the policy based on peace, democracy and human rights,” said mothers to the government.

The Saturday Mothers, who have gathered every Saturday in front of central Istanbul's Galatasaray high school to draw attention to their lost family members. Saturday Mothers gathered in Galatasaray Square for 596th times this weekend. Saturday Mothers carried the photograph of their loved ones and unfurled a banner reads, “The perpetrators is certain, where are disappearances?” put red cloves on the banner.

The Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) MPs Hüda Kaya and Dilek Öcalan, the Republican People's Party (CHP) MP Sezgin Tanrıkulu; the Peoples' Democratic Congress (HDK) co-speaker Gülistan Kılıç Koçyiğit, poet Sezai Sarıoğlu and many people attended the action this weekend. Brother of Kenan Bilgin, who was disappeared in 1994, İrfan Bilgin underlined that they want their loved ones and the perpetrators should be tried by saying, “We want the perpetrators to be tried, you will give the account.”

After İrfan’s speech, the HDP MP Dilek Öcalan began to speak and she said she was here to ask the whereabouts of those who had been disappeared. She said, “The perpetrators of our people are certain, the darkness days in Turkey will continue until the perpetrators are found out. We know these people are right with their struggle and we’ll continue this struggle until find our people.” Dilek stressed that nurturing enmity towards the Kurds will not be benefit of anyone, “Those who are trying to get some benefits by shedding blood should know that they will give the account.”

Mother of Tolga Baykal Ceylan, who was disappeared in 2004 by being taken into custody, Kadriye Ceylan said, “Those who made Tolga lost are being protected. We don’t accept that and we’ll do everything to make the perpetrators to be tried. Turkey is the country of lost people. Those who made my son lost don’t like this country like Tolga, Cemil and Hrant did. If they liked this country, there wouldn’t be torture in this country.”

Esra Koç read this week statement and she said, “Knowing whereabouts Tolga Baykal Ceylan is the right of family and society. We’ll follow our right.”

Esra called on the government and said, “Stop your policies that produce violence and blood and start the policy based on peace, democracy and human rights. Take a step for peace in order to prevent more our people die”

(ekip/ödk/fk/gd)