Yakay-Der
Encyclopedia
Yakay-Der, The Association of Solidarity and Assistance for the Families of Missing Persons, (Turkish = Yakınlarını Kaybeden Ailelerle Yardımlaşma ve Dayanışma Derneği), was founded on 9 March 2001 to help the families of missing person
s in Turkey. The President is Pervin Buldan
. Its stated objectives are:
· To investigate the unknown killings of known opponents of the State and the disappearance of such people under very suspicious situations and circumstances;
· To investigate and try to find out who are responsible for the unknown killings and/or disappearances of such activists, and to bring them to book, i.e. to make certain that they are arrested, prosecuted and punished; and
· To work with the families of those who have been killed or who have disappeared.
Yakar-Der was established as a result of a long struggle organised by what came to be known as the “Saturday Mothers”, a group of women who protested every Saturday for about two years in front of the Galatasaray High School in Taksim
in Istanbul
.
It is a successor to the Association Mag-Der, which was closed down by the Turkish authorities because of alleged irregularities with respect to the Turkish Law of Associations.
According to Yakar-Der, more than 1,500 persons are unaccounted for following the “special war” period in Turkey from 1993 to 1998, in the context of actions taken to root out the PKK.
These activities were brought to light in the Susurluk scandal
which surfaced in 1996 and resulted in several high-level resignations in the Turkish Government.
Each year, Yakar-Der, together with the Turkish Human Rights Association
(İHD) and the International Committee Against Disappearances (ICAD), organise a series of special events to mark the Week of Disappeared People. In May 2006, they organised the 5th International Conference against Disappearances, in Diyarbakir
.
In 2008 they organized sit-down strikes, a photo exhibition and panel discussions with the relatives of missing persons. They also filed a complaint with the public prosecutor and demanded the punishment of officials responsible for the disappearance of the missing persons.
In May 2009 they began a campaign to urge Turkey to ratify the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances.
Missing person
A missing person is a person who has disappeared for usually unknown reasons.Missing persons' photographs may be posted on bulletin boards, milk cartons, postcards, and websites, along with a phone number to be contacted if a sighting has been made....
s in Turkey. The President is Pervin Buldan
Pervin Buldan
Pervin Buldan is a Turkish politician of Kurdish origin. She was a member of the former Democratic Society Party in Iğdır, Eastern Turkey. She is President of Yakay-Der....
. Its stated objectives are:
· To investigate the unknown killings of known opponents of the State and the disappearance of such people under very suspicious situations and circumstances;
· To investigate and try to find out who are responsible for the unknown killings and/or disappearances of such activists, and to bring them to book, i.e. to make certain that they are arrested, prosecuted and punished; and
· To work with the families of those who have been killed or who have disappeared.
Yakar-Der was established as a result of a long struggle organised by what came to be known as the “Saturday Mothers”, a group of women who protested every Saturday for about two years in front of the Galatasaray High School in Taksim
Taksim
Taksim was the objective of Turkish Cypriots who supported a partition of the island of Cyprus into Turkish and Greek portions, a concept declared as early as 1957 by Dr. Fazil Küçük...
in Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
.
It is a successor to the Association Mag-Der, which was closed down by the Turkish authorities because of alleged irregularities with respect to the Turkish Law of Associations.
According to Yakar-Der, more than 1,500 persons are unaccounted for following the “special war” period in Turkey from 1993 to 1998, in the context of actions taken to root out the PKK.
These activities were brought to light in the Susurluk scandal
Susurluk scandal
The Susurluk scandal was a scandal involving the close relationship between the Turkish government, the armed forces, and organized crime. It took place during the peak of the Turkey–Kurdistan Workers' Party conflict, in the mid-1990s...
which surfaced in 1996 and resulted in several high-level resignations in the Turkish Government.
Each year, Yakar-Der, together with the Turkish Human Rights Association
Human Rights Association (Turkey)
The Human Rights Association is an NGO for advancing Human rights in Turkey, founded in 1986 and headquartered in Ankara.- History :...
(İHD) and the International Committee Against Disappearances (ICAD), organise a series of special events to mark the Week of Disappeared People. In May 2006, they organised the 5th International Conference against Disappearances, in Diyarbakir
Diyarbakir
Diyarbakır is one of the largest cities in southeastern Turkey...
.
In 2008 they organized sit-down strikes, a photo exhibition and panel discussions with the relatives of missing persons. They also filed a complaint with the public prosecutor and demanded the punishment of officials responsible for the disappearance of the missing persons.
In May 2009 they began a campaign to urge Turkey to ratify the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances.