The Saturday Mothers/People, or Cumartesi Anneleri/İnsanları in Turkish, convene every Saturday at noon in Istanbul’s Galatasaray Square. This peaceful assembly which was inspired by the model of the Argentinian “Las Madres de Plaza de Mayo” serves as a vigil where they advocate for investigations and seek accountability for the enforced disappearances of their family members during the political unrest in Turkey during the 1980s and 1990s. These gatherings are a symbol in Turkey of the mobilisation of civil society in favor of justice, human rights and accountability. First initiated in 1995, their gatherings at Galatasaray Square were interrupted twice due to the disproportionate interference of law enforcement authorities. They were first banned from protesting in 1999, which prevented them from gathering until 2009. Following political developments which brought the state agents’ involvement in the enforced disappearances into public debate more widely, they resumed their vigils in 2009 until they faced a second interruption in 2018, with a ban on the 700th vigil on August 25, 2018 by the Beyoğlu district governorship. On that day, the police violently dispersed the participants by using tear gas and excessive force and detained many1. Following this ban, they started to hold the vigils at the Istanbul branch of the Human Rights Association/İnsan Hakları Derneği (İHD).
The Human Rights Association initiated the first vigils in 1995 and through the establishment of a Commission Against Disappearances, has for several decades supported the citizen movement of the Saturday Mothers.
