A ceremony was held at the grave of Vedat Aydın, who was kidnapped by JITEM on 5 July 1991, and later murdered, with his body dumped in the Maden district of Xarpêt.

The commemoration was organized by the Association for Solidarity, Unity, and Culture with Families Who Lost Their Relatives in the Cradle of Civilizations (MEBYA-DER) and attended by representatives from the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), the Democratic Regions Party (DBP), DEM Party Women's Council Spokesperson Halide Türkoğlu, Member of Parliament Adalet Kaya, Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality co-mayors Serra Bucak and Doğan Hatun, along with district municipality co-mayors.

The ceremony took place at Mardin Kapı Cemetery in the Sûr district and began with a moment of silence.

Speaking at the commemoration, Vedat Aydın’s wife, Şükran Aydın, emphasized the sacrifices made by the Kurdish people. Referring to the "Call for Peace and a Democratic Society" made by Abdullah Öcalan on 27 February, she said: "A process has begun today. For it to continue and succeed, we must achieve unity in all four parts of Kurdistan. Only if unity is ensured in all four parts can this process be successful."

She added, “For 33-34 years, we have been coming to these cemeteries. There are thousands of enforced disappearances. The perpetrators are known. It is not those who pulled the trigger that matter to us, but those who gave the orders. We want them to be prosecuted. The state must acknowledge these unsolved murders, apologize to the families of the disappeared, and officially recognize these crimes through parliamentary legislation."

Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality co-mayor Serra Bucak paid tribute to those who struggled for freedom and democracy, saying, "I respectfully commemorate those who dedicated themselves to the fight for freedom and democracy, especially Vedat Aydın."

DEM Party Women's Council Spokesperson Halide Türkoğlu said: "No matter what they do, patriarchal and militaristic violence has failed to achieve its goals. While we remember these sacrifices, we will also ensure accountability. This historical memory will continue to grow. The days when we will approach peace through the struggle for freedom and democracy are very near."

DEM Party Diyarbakır Provincial co-chair Gülşen Özer also emphasized the resilience of the Kurdish people, saying, "We have lost many comrades in this struggle. The Kurds have been standing and resisting for 100 years."

The commemoration concluded with the laying of carnations on Aydın’s grave.

Background

People's Labor Party (HEP) Diyarbakır Provincial chairperson Vedat Aydın was detained at his home by three JITEM personnel, who introduced themselves as police officers, on 5 July 1991. His body was found in Maden district of Elazığ, two days later, on 7 July.

Aydın, who had been arrested during the 12 September 1980 military coup, had spent 4 years in prison. After his release, he started working to establish the Human Rights Association (IHD) with a group of Kurdish intellectuals. Aydın, who was elected to the Board of Directors of the IHD Diyarbakır Branch in 1990, was arrested on 28 October 1990 for speaking in Kurdish at the IHD General Assembly held in Ankara.

Aydın made his defense in Kurdish at the hearing of the trial against him. He was elected to the Presidency of the IHD Diyarbakır Branch at the end of 1990, and was the provincial chair of the HEP Diyarbakır Provincial Congress in June 1991, after a 4-month detention period.

At least 8 people lost their lives and dozens were injured as a result of the police attack on the march organized by hundreds of thousands of people attending the funeral in Diyarbakır on 10 July 1991, to the Mardin Kapı Cemetery.