“Saturday Mothers” group emerged in 1995 in Turkey inspired from the Madres de Plaza De Mayo of Argentine, as a reaction to the increasing tortures and disappearances under the state custody of the military government came into power in late 1980 after a coup d’etat which sponsored a long-term reign of terror affecting the Turkey’s political climate.

A group of mothers of the political figures disappeared under police custody spearheaded the movement right after it was revealed that Hasan Ocak, one of the symbolic individuals lost under the custody of the law enforcement was found in an anonymous grave following his torture and killing during his prosecution by the state forces. The same group gathered more members after founding the courage after their first successful endeavor, gathered at Galatasaray Square of Istanbul in May 1995 for the first time to start their legendary consecutive protests against the Turkish state. Although the police targeted the group, harassed, beaten and intimidated countless time since last two decades, they are still protesting at the same place on Saturdays to remind the state and the public for their losses and calling the state officials for finding responsibles of their losses, while asking for the state scrutiny on examination of the mass graves of the lost.