The families of the 259 military students that were sentenced to life in prison after July 15 coup attempt, will stage a weekly sit in in Ankara. Families have been trying to stage their sit in in front of AKP Provincial Presidency for a while and got taken into custody every time they tried. The mothers will now gather in Sakarya Street every wednesday under the name 'Mothers of Military Students'.

 

Mothers who tried protesting in front of AKP Provincial building, spoke to Mesopotamia Agency (MA).

 

 

FEYZİOĞLU TOLD ME TO GO TO THE PRESIDENT

 

 

Melek Çetinkaya, mother of Furkan Çetinkaya (20) who was sentenced to life in prison, said she entrusted her son to the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) when he was just 13, said his son is now staying in a ward of 7 people, with 45 people. Çetinkaya said she saw Turkish Bar Associations President Metin Feyzioğlu in discharged commander Mehmet Alkan's hearing and introduced herself.Çetinkaya said: "He said 'I know you'. I asked him why didn't he do anything if he knows me. He responded 'It's not the time yet. Get an appointment from the President. And you make a lot of noise. You should be silent." I tried to get an appointment from the President but couldn't. So we went to AKP Ankara Provincial Presidency."

 

Çetinkaya who states: "I gave my child to the state. Now I want him back from the state. My son went to that school for 6 years. If the state did not know such an organization infiltrated into the state, how can my 13 year old son?"

 

Mother Çetinkaya who stated that she can't understand why people went to HDP, said: " It is the government and the state that needs to find the children. Even if they don't know where our children is, they have to find them and give them to us mothers. We demand the immediate release of our children. We don't beg for mercy, we don't want forgiveness, we just want justice."

 

Çetinkaya said that they will meet every Wednesday on Sakarya Street and repeat their demands for justice.

 

 

Mother Nazik Güldiken whose son Mustafa Güldiken was also sentenced to life in prison said: "There are videos that clearly show that our children did not know what was happening was a coup. We have plenty of evidence that acqiuts our children but they don't have any evidence to sentence our children to life in prison."

 

Mother Dilek Mercimek, whose son Bedirhan Mercimek was also sentenced to life said: "So now its our turn to get hurt. Our struggle is new. We have been struggling for 3 years now. There are saturday mothers looking for their children for a lot longer. One day justice will come for all the children of these lands. Our struggle will continue until we take our children back. Mothers should not cry anymore. We want peace in this country. Let's live happily together with no one in prisons."