The Saturday Mothers, a group of activists and relatives seeking to learn the fate of loved ones who disappeared in police custody in Turkey, held their 1,032nd vigil today, in the longest-running protest in the country’s history since they first gathered on May 27, 1995, in Galatasaray Square, Turkish media reported.

The vigil began with a statement read by Oya Ersoy, a representative of the group. Reflecting on the significance of the new year, the statement highlighted their ongoing struggle: “While the new year is often seen as a time for fresh beginnings, we enter 2025 still seeking answers for our loved ones. We hope this year brings justice and peace to our country.”

The Saturday Mothers continue to protest restrictions that prevent them from meeting freely in Galatasaray Square. Although Turkey’s Constitutional Court has ruled against such bans, the group remains confined behind police barriers during their vigils.

A family’s decades-long quest for justice

The focus of this week’s vigil was brothers Ayhan and Ali Efeoğlu, two university students who disappeared in the early ’90s. Ayhan Efeoğlu, a Yıldız Technical University student, was taken into custody on October 6, 1992, in front of the university by plainclothes police officers and allegedly transferred to the İstanbul Police Department’s Counterterrorism Unit. His family’s inquiries to authorities were met with denials of his detention.

On January 5, 1994, Ayhan’s younger brother, Ali, a student at İstanbul Technical University, was also detained near Pendik, İstanbul. Despite their parents’ attempts to seek answers from prosecutors, no effective investigation into the brothers’ disappearances was conducted. The cases were eventually closed under the statute of limitations.

In 2011 former special operations officer Ayhan Çarkın confessed to witnessing Ayhan Efeoğlu being tortured to death in custody, adding that he personally buried the body. Çarkın provided the names of the other police officers allegedly involved in the incident. Based on these revelations, the Efeoğlu family requested the case be reopened and called for an independent investigation to locate Ayhan’s remains. They also filed a lawsuit against the Ministry of Interior, seeking damages for their loss.

Despite these efforts, no significant progress has been made. The family continues to demand justice, stating, “We will not rest until we uncover the truth about Ayhan and Ali’s fate and hold those responsible accountable.”

In their statement the Saturday Mothers criticized the justice system for its failure to act. “The impunity granted to perpetrators of enforced disappearances undermines democracy and the rule of law,” they said.

The group emphasized that the lack of accountability not only affects the Efeoğlu family but also represents a broader failure to address human rights abuses in Turkey. “We demand an end to denial and impunity. The government must reveal the fate of our disappeared loved ones, punish the perpetrators, and restore the rule of law.”

As they concluded the vigil, the Saturday Mothers vowed to continue their struggle: “Regardless of how many years pass, we will not stop seeking justice for Ayhan, Ali and all the disappeared.”