Human rights organizations in Turkey, including the Truth Justice and Memory Studies Association (Hafıza Merkezi), Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA), the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (TİHV), and Amnesty International, have released an observation report detailing ongoing restrictions against the Saturday Mothers/People during their 994th weekly gathering. This group has long been known for their peaceful demonstrations in Istanbul’s Galatasaray Square, seeking information and accountability for relatives who disappeared during state-related conflicts.
The Saturday Mothers/People first faced detention on April 8, 2023, during their 941st gathering, when they attempted to resume their weekly protests at Galatasaray Square following a favorable decision from the Constitutional Court regarding participant Maside Ocak. Despite not being detained at their 971st meeting on November 4, 2023, their access to the square has been heavily restricted, allowing only up to ten participants since their 972nd gathering on November 11, 2023.
The recent report emphasizes that the pattern of intervention and restrictions highlighted in previous weeks has become routine. The limitations include a noticeable police presence, surveillance of the participants and their supporters, and recording of the proceedings which, according to the report, act as administrative harassment. These actions not only continue to criminalize the activities of the Saturday Mothers/People—activities that the Constitutional Court recognized as deserving respect—but also significantly deter public participation and awareness of enforced disappearances.
Moreover, the continued visible surveillance and policing, particularly the restriction to only ten participants and ongoing monitoring of compliance, are pointed out in the report as direct interferences with the freedom of assembly. These deterrent effects are considered by the human rights organizations involved as in themselves violations of the right to gather peacefully.
This ongoing situation highlights the challenges faced by activists and human rights defenders in Turkey as they seek to exercise their fundamental rights under restrictive conditions that have been institutionalized over time.
