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Mr.

Ali

Yerlikaya

Ministry of Interior

I am writing to call on you to intervene, without further delay, to fully open Galatasaray Square to Saturday Mothers/People’s weekly peaceful vigil. This long overdue decision would be in line with the two Constitutional Court rulings in 2022 and 2023 and the acquittals in March 2025 of 45 defendants who have been prosecuted under the Law on Meetings and Demonstrations since 2021.

While the group has been able to return to Galatasaray Square since November 2023, the round the clock presence of metal barriers and armed police, and the arbitrary limit on the numbers of protesters to 10 people allowed to gather each Saturday, continue to represent an unlawful restriction to Saturday Mothers/People’s enjoyment of their right of peaceful assembly.

Türkiye must fulfil its binding international and regional human rights obligations resulting, among others, from the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the European Convention on Human Rights and ensure the exercise of the right of peaceful assembly of all without discrimination. In the case of Saturday Mothers/People and all those who wish to assemble peacefully, Galatasaray Square is a location of symbolic importance that has become synonymous with the group over the last 30 years.

I call on you to ensure the Saturday Mothers/People’s right of peaceful assembly, open up the Square and lift all the current restrictions immediately.

Kind regards,
{user_data~First Name} {user_data~Last Name}

Mr.

Numan

Kurtulmuş

Grand National Assembly of Türkiye

I call on you to ensure the Saturday Mothers/People’s right of peaceful assembly, open up the Square and lift all the current restrictions immediately.

Kind regards,
{user_data~First Name} {user_data~Last Name}

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