Türkiye: Open Galatasaray Square For Protesters

For the past 28 years, the Saturday Mothers/People have tirelessly sought truth and justice for their loved ones who forcibly disappeared in police custody in Türkiye during the 1980s and 1990s. Since May 1995, they have held peaceful weekly vigils in Galatasaray Square in central Istanbul, demanding accountability from the authorities. Despite repeated detentions, the group continued their gatherings until March 1999, when police repression forced them to pause. After a ten-year gap, with no progress on their demands, they resumed the vigils in January 2009.

Over the years, the Saturday Mothers/People have repeatedly faced police violence, detentions, and even prosecutions for exercising their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, rights that Turkish authorities have consistently failed to uphold.

On 25 August 2018, during their 700th weekly vigil, riot police used tear gas, water cannons, and excessive force to disperse hundreds of peaceful demonstrators, citing a ban by the Beyoğlu district governor. Forty-seven people were detained, and in 2021, 46 were indicted for “refusing to disperse despite warnings.” On 14 March 2025, 45 of them were acquitted; the case of one individual was separated due to procedural delays.

Following two Constitutional Court rulings in November 2022 and March 2023, both affirming that the group’s right to peaceful assembly had been violated and that authorities must prevent future violations, the group resumed their vigils between April and November 2023. Despite this legal backing, they faced weekly detentions and police violence, sometimes amounting to torture or other ill-treatment.

In August 2023, another prosecution was launched against 20 individuals, including relatives of the disappeared and human rights defenders, who were detained during the 10 June vigil. They were acquitted in 2024.

On 8 November 2023, in response to a parliamentary question, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya acknowledged the group’s victimization, stating, “We will find a solution as soon as possible.” That week, for the first time in months, no detentions occurred. Since then, a limited vigil with 10 relatives has been permitted near Galatasaray Square, a practice that continues.

The Saturday Mothers/People will mark the 30th anniversary of their struggle on 27 May 2025.