News | Hafıza Merkezi

Activities | 26.03.2013

Bûka Baranê premieres

Hafıza Merkezi, which has just completed its first year in March, will make the findings of this first year public in March and April 2013. First of all, we have completed Bukâ Baranê, the…

Activities | 22.02.2013

A workshop on memorialisation and democratization in Turkey held in Mardin

Hafıza Merkezi, in partnership with the World Policy Institute, organized a workshop on “Memorialisation and Democratisation in Turkey” in Mardin on 2-3 February.

Articles and Translations | 21.02.2013

Berfo Kırbayır, activist mother for missing son, dies at 105

Berfo Kırbayır, an activist mother who has been searching for her missing son under MP detention in 1980, passed away early this morning. Berfo Kırbayır, an activist mother who has been searching…

Articles and Translations | 20.02.2013

The fight against enforced disappearance in 2012

Over the past year, various countries across the world witnessed new developments concerning enforced disappearance. Enforced disappearance was used as a policy of intimidation and extermination in…

Activities | 16.01.2013

2012 at Hafıza Merkezi

Upon its establishment in November 2011, Hafıza Merkezi started to work on enforced disappearances, or what is commonly known in Turkey as “disappearances under custody.” Based on discussions with…

Articles and Translations | 6.01.2013

Truth commission for the mass killing of Alevis

PM Erdoğan’s speech on the Dersim Massacre that was harshly criticized both in terms of its style and consequences; some statements in the report of the Parliamentary Coup and Memorandum…

Statements and Announcements | 25.12.2012

Diyarbakir Bar Association’s Statement Regarding the Çitil Case

Justice-seeking relatives of 13 civilian citizens who were murdered by public officials, were left disappointed once again today at the courthouse. Brigadier General Musa Çitil is accused of taking…

Articles and Translations | 24.12.2012

“The JİTEM case fell apart”

Commenting on the release of former Mayor of Cizre Kamil Atağ who was accused in the JİTEM case of having seven villagers killed, Mehmet Emin Aktar, one of the lawyers party to the case,…

Statements and Announcements | 24.12.2012

The Saturday Mothers of Cizre in their 100th week

Özlem Kaya The relatives of the disappeared have met for 404 weeks in Istanbul’s Galatasaray Square and for 202 weeks in front of Diyarbakır’s Right to Life Monument. The relatives of the…

Articles and Translations | 22.12.2012

Kamil Atağ, former Head of the Village Guard, is released

In Diyarbakır, the trial continued against 6 suspects—including former Kayseri Gendarme Regimental Commander Colonel Cemal Temizöz and former Mayor of Cizre and Head of the Village Guard Kamil Atağ—…

Articles and Translations | 21.12.2012

Insurance liability for the disappeared Fehmi Tosun

Fehmi Tosun who was disappeared while under custody in 1995 was automatically insured, because he did not make an application within the scope of the general health insurance (GSS). According to the…

Articles and Translations | 20.12.2012

Maritza Urrutia: Women played a very significant role in Guatemala’s struggle for truth and justice

Interview by Emrah Gürsel In Guatemala in 1954, fearing the spread of communism under the liberal democratic government of Jacobo Árbenz, the United States supported a coup that established a…

Articles and Translations | 19.12.2012

The European Court rules: CIA engaged in torture of victim of mistaken rendition

The European Court of Human Rights has vindicated the long search for justice of Khaled el-Masri, a German citizen who was the victim nine years ago of a mistaken rendition operation by the U.S.…

Activities | 17.12.2012

AHDA organizes a conference on historical dialogue

The Alliance for Historical Dialogue and Accountability (AHDA) at Columbia University’s Institute for the Study of Human Rights held a conference titled “Local Memory, Global Ethics,…

10.12.2012

“It all starts with someone being disappeared”

Perhaps, the disappearances affected children the most. Children’s voices were heard the least. In order to hear the voices of the Saturday Children, we talked to Besna Tosun, who is the daughter of…

Statements and Announcements | 10.12.2012

Conference: Perceptions, Actors, and the Settlement of the Kurdish Issue

Diyarbakır Institute for Political and Social Research, in cooperation with Heinrich Böll Foundation, arranged a conference titled “Perceptions, Actors, and the Settlement of the Kurdish Issue…

Articles and Translations | 10.12.2012

"It all starts with someone being disappeared"

Perhaps, the disappearances affected children the most. Children's voices were heard the least. In order to hear the voices of the Saturday Children, we talked to Besna Tosun, who is the daughter of…

Activities | 5.12.2012

Study visit from Pakistan

The Ending Torture and Ill-Treatment of Women Project (EVAW), a project carried out by OXFAM in Pakistan, came to Istanbul for a study visit from 29 November – 3 December. EVAW is an advocacy…

Articles and Translations | 25.11.2012

The Saturday Mothers meet at Galatasaray for the 400th week

Since 1995, for exactly seventeen years, the Saturday Mothers have held a sit-in every week in Galatasaray Square for their relatives who disappeared while under custody. On 24 November 2012, the…

15.11.2012

“I’ve lost four members of my family, but I’m still hopeful”

Interview by Emrah Gürsel The victims of unresolved murders, extrajudicial executions, and the policy of disappearance carried out at the hands of state officials has been repeated thousands of…