ISTANBUL – The Saturday Mothers, recalling the words of the families of the Kerboran (Dargeçit) disappearances, “The bones recovered from the wells and our testimonies were not considered sufficient evidence,” demanded justice.

 

The Saturday Mothers continued their 1,075th weekly vigil to ask about the fate of their relatives who were forcibly disappeared while in custody and to demand the prosecution of those responsible. Families of the disappeared and human rights defenders gathered at Galatasaray Square with carnations and photographs of the missing. The press statement was read by Maside Ocak, the sister of Hasan Ocak, who was killed while in custody.

 

Maside Ocak stated that during the 1,075th week, they were demanding justice for those detained in Kerboran as a result of violent state policies and never returned. She said: “Between October 29 and November 8, 1995, during house raids conducted by heavily armed soldiers and village guards in Mardin/Dargeçit, a large number of people were detained, including four children, two high school students, and two women. Those detained were taken to the Dargeçit Gendarmerie Battalion. Some of those held in custody were released after a while. However, 12-year-old Davut Altunkaynak, 13-year-old Seyhan Doğan, 16-year-old Nedim Akyön, 19-year-old Mehmet Emin Aslan, 20-year-old Abdurrahman Olcay, 21-year-old Abdurrahman Coşkun, and 57-year-old Süleyman Seyhan were never heard from again.”

 

Maside Ocak noted that Süleyman Seyhan was found dead on March 6, 1996, after being tortured, and emphasized that the criminal complaints filed by the families to locate the Kerboran disappeared were concluded without effective investigation. She added: “Between 2012 and 2015, based on witness statements, excavations were carried out, and the bones of those detained, showing signs of severe torture, were found in wells located in a former restricted military zone where civilians were not allowed.”

 

CASE ENDED IN ACQUITTAL

 

Maside Ocak stated: “A case was filed against 18 individuals, including Hurşit İmren, Commander of the Mardin Gendarmerie Commando Battalion at the time; Mehmet Tire, Commander of Dargeçit District Gendarmerie; Mahmut Yılmaz, Commander of Dargeçit Central Gendarmerie Station; Deputy Commander Haydar Topçam; as well as specialist sergeants and village guards, on charges of ‘premeditated murder.’ The case file contained numerous consistent witness statements indicating the responsibility of the defendants, supported by evidence. Nevertheless, on July 4, 2022, the court acquitted all 18 defendants, stating that ‘concrete, definitive, and convincing evidence could not be obtained.’”

 

BONES RECOVERED FROM WELLS

 

Recalling the families’ words, “The bones recovered from the wells, the severe torture we endured, and our testimonies were not considered sufficient evidence,” Maside Ocak noted that the appeal to the Antep Regional Court of Justice was rejected on May 7, 2024. She expressed their demand for the Court of Cassation to take an approach that would open the way to justice in the Dargeçit case, saying, “No matter how many years pass, we will never stop seeking justice for all our disappeared, including Davut Altunkaynak, Seyhan Doğan, Nedim Akyön, Mehmet Emin Aslan, Abdurrahman Olcay, Abdurrahman Coşkun, Süleyman Seyhan, and Bilal Batırır, and reminding the state that it must act within universal legal norms.”

 

After the vigil, the Saturday Mothers laid carnations at Galatasaray Square in memory of those who were forcibly disappeared.