It Is Our Humanity That May Go Missing

They have been staging a sit-in in Cumartesi Square (officially Galatasary Square), the busiest spot in İstanbul, in this land of unending blood and cries, every Saturday for 499 weeks. In fact, their sit-in started on May 27, 1995, i.e., 1,013 weeks ago. At that time, the state was governed by the policy of making people go missing while in custody. Initially, there were a few relatives of the missing people. Over time, more and more people banded together to share their agonies and cooperate with each other in their common cause. Soon, the group grew larger, because they were already in high numbers. Their demands were very clear.

1) No one should go missing under custody.
2) The fate of the missing people should be made public.
3) Those who were responsible for making them go missing should be brought to court.
At that time, it wasn't a cakewalk to hold a sit-in. On Aug. 15, 1998, in the 170th week, the state ran out of patience. For 30 weeks, demonstrators wrestled with forced dispersion, police violence and detentions. They also maintained their protest in custody, leading to an exacerbation of the trauma. They had to take a break on March 13, 1999, in the 200th week, in the face of the mounting pressures.
However, their act had managed to bring to public attention one detestable method employed by the state, urging it to abandon the practice to a large extent. Some families had the "chance" to learn the fate of their missing relatives, but this wasn't true for most of them. And justice was hardly done...
In other words, their efforts proved more beneficial to us than to them. They managed to prevent us from disappearing while in police custody.
When lawsuits were brought against the members of Ergenekon -- a clandestine organization nested within the state, trying to overthrow or manipulate the democratically elected government -- as well as against the subversive generals of the coup d'état of Sept. 12, 1980 and the incidents in the 1990s, they dutifully resumed their sit-in to make everyone remember their unfulfilled demand for justice. On Jan. 31, 2009, they reinstituted their protest.
The authorities tried to replace justice with tears or the expression of "sharing the pain" -- whatever that meant. Was it possible that they didn't think their sorrows had been abused when justice was not done? They no longer buy into the tricky plans advertised as "settling accounts with the past" or the hidden pardons. They name just one thing as their demand, as clearly as possible: JUSTICE.
Let us repeat it: In the first place, they want to learn the fate of their missing relatives... Most likely, what they will get is the bones of their long-dead relatives... Shame... Then, they want the crime to be punished. It is high time the state refers some of its children to court while delivering some others to the Saturday Mothers.
Those who are penalized wrongfully may sometimes search out the crime they have been punished for. When they take to the streets, causing turmoil and chaos, and you happen to think that they should not do it, it is only the voice of JUSTICE that can tell them to stop. For this reason, they never indulged in turmoil for 499 weeks. If justice speaks up, starting in Cumartesi Square, that voice will be heard in every square. You can be assured of this.
On Oct. 25, it will be the 500th week of the sit-in by the Saturday Mothers and Saturday People. For 500 weeks, they have been looking for their missing relatives and justice. Actually, for 500 weeks, they have been looking for us.
Let us stand by their side, as a minimum, with a red carnation at 12 p.m. this Saturday. Let us add our voice to theirs. On this Saturday and every Saturday...
Saturday Mothers
The full statement of the Saturday Mothers has been included in this column to show support for their campaign.

BÜLENT KENEŞ (Cihan/Today's Zaman)