ISTANBUL – On the 653rd week, Saturday Mothers demanded the perpetrators of Mahmut Doğan, who was killed after being detaining on November 27, 1993, to be tried and the letter sent by his daughter Melek Doğan was read. “How could we know that he left home for last time? Do you know the feeling growing up without father? Whenever someone knocked the door, we rushed to the door thinking our father came,” said Melek in her letter.

 

Saturday Mothers gathered in Istanbul’s Galata Square for 653rd time with the demand of learning the destiny of their disappeared loved ones. Mothers placed white scarves and red carnations on the banner reading “The perpetrators are known, where the disappeared are?” and they carried the pictures of their loved ones, who were forcibly disappeared. This week, the mothers demanded the perpetrators of Mahmut Doğan, who was killed after being detaining on November 27, 1993, to be tried.

 

‘The state must fulfill its obligation’

 

This week’s statement was read by Yeter İhsan. Yeter said, “In 1990s, Turkey was turned to hell with disappeared people in custody, executions and massacres. Diyarbakır became one of these places suffered from this hell. JİTEM and Hezbollah, also written in the report of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey,     inflicted a heavy blow to right to life in Diyarbakır. The state, which had to fulfill its obligation, didn’t fulfill its obligation.”

 

Yeter told the story of Mahmut Doğan, who was killed after being detained. Yeter said, “Father of four, Mahmut Doğan (37) lived in Diyarbakır and worked as a taxi driver. The taxi stand he worked for was next to Bağlar Police Station. On November 27, 1993, he went to his home for lunch. After having lunch, he left his home to the taxi stand. Mahmut Doğan didn’t return to his home at night and his family flurried and they first applied to Bağlar Police Station and then to Police Headquarters. Officials in the police headquarters told them Mahmut had been detained because a gun had been found in his car and they could bring food for him if they wanted. Mahmut’s family went to home and brought food for him; however, the officials told them, “There is no one here with this name”. Zümrete Doğan reacted to them and told the officials, “You told me he was here half an hour ago” and she was subjected to insult by the officials for saying that. On January 28, 1994, dead bodies of Mahmut Doğan and Abdülselam Kızmaz were found in Reçellik caves, located in Bellitaş village of Diyarbakır’s Çınar district.”

 

After the statement, the letter by his daughter Melek Doğan to the Saturday Mothers was read. Melek wrote in the letter, “We are four siblings. On a Sunday, Our father, a taxi driver, left the home to work on Sunday. How could we know that he left home for last time? Do you know the feeling growing up without father? Whenever someone knocked the door, we rushed to the door thinking our father came. I hurt so bad in my heart when someone say father. Now, I have four children. Still, I hurt so bad in my heart when I hear the ‘father’ word.”