Vanished In Custody

• Photographer
  Esra Belgin
• Photo Date
  2024-2025

Since 1995, Istanbul’s Galatasaray Square has been the site of a quiet but persistent act of protest. Every Saturday, families of Turkey’s forcibly disappeared, gather to demand accountability for their missing loved ones. Known as the "Saturday Mothers", they hold photographs and carnations, symbols of loss and hope, in a weekly call for truth and justice. This series documents the enduring presence of those who refuse to let their loved ones be forgotten. It seeks to capture the pain etched into their faces—a testament to memory and resistance, even when justice remains elusive.

Esra Belgin has been drawn to photography for as long as she can remember. She believes deeply in the power of photography to observe, connect, and reveal what often goes unseen. Her main interest is street photography and documentary photography.