Solidarity rallies with the Saturday Mothers were organised in cities in Austria, Canada and Switzerland yesterday to mark the 500th week of vigil by the families and relatives of the thousands of disappeared people in North Kurdistan and Turkey in 1990s.

A solidarity rally with the Saturday Mothers was organised near the Embassy of Turkey in Vienna, the capital of Austria. The rally was attended by over 200 people. Pictures of people who disappeared in custody were held by those who attended the rally. After speeches by executives of different institutions, the rally ended.

Meanwhile, in Linz, a group of people gathered in Martin Luther Platz for a rally.

In Bern and Zurich in Switzerland, rallies were also organised to mark the 500th week of Saturday Mothers’ vigil. The pictures of people who disappeared and banners in German language were held. The rally was called by the Swiss human rights association and the solidarity committee with the Saturday Mothers.

Speeches made at the rally emphasized that especially in the 1980s and 1990s, in Turkey, hundreds of people were disappeared by the state while in custody and thousands of people were killed by the state or by unidentified persons.

The speeches also recalled that the Turkish State murdered Sakine Cansız, Fidan Doğan and Leyla Şaylemez on 9 January 2013, saying: “these killings were the work of Turkish intelligence and it has been proven by documents. None of the people who committed the murder of these 3 women has been punished. Many people who have occupied responsible positions, become deputies, ministers or executives of the parties or senior bureaucrats are being protected by the state.”

Speakers also stated that the Turkish state had to sign the international agreement of the United Nations protecting people from forced disappearance while they are in custody.

After that, Hatice Tekdağ, the wife of Ali Tekdağ, who disappeared in the early 1990s, made a short speech and said: “until our disappeared people are found, our struggle will continue.” Then a relative of Fehmi Taş made a speech telling the story of Fehmi Taş and his struggle.

In the Canadian city of Toronto, the Kurdish cultural association organised a rally under the leadership of women workers in order to support the 500th week of the Saturday Mothers.

Over 50 people joined the rally which was organised in front of the Turkish embassy. Banners reading: “my mother is Saturday, we are here for the 500th week,“ were carried.