A disturbance at a PKK funeral in Hakkari

A disturbance at a PKK funeral in Hakkari

08 August 2010

Four PKK members, two of which were women, were buried in the Tekser Cemetery after being killed in fighting with security forces in Helil Valley in Hakkari last Thursday. After the funeral some groups engaged with police in nearby streets. Protesters were dispersed with teargas and a water cannon after erecting flaming barricades in the streets and throwing stones at police.

Those who came to claim the bodies from the Hakkari State Hospital morgue for the funeral were met in the hospital’s garden by police but were not detained. The standoff between the gathered protestors and police was ended only after the intervention of officials from the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP - Barış ve Demokrasi Partisi). A hearst owned by the municipality of Hakkari originally took three of the bodies from the morgue which were later transferred to at truck for the PKK funeral ceremony. Approximately 10,000 people gathered and walked behind the truck shouting slogans such as “martyrs are immortal” and “long live Apo” and singing Kurdish marches.

On the five kilometre walk from Hakkari to the Keklikpinar District’s Tekser Cemetery several among the crowded fainted from heat exhaustion. Upon entering the cemetery women who had gathered there showered the caskets with carnations as they caskets were hoisted onto the backs of the crowd. Kurdistan was written on the top of some parasol opened by women among the crowd. The BDP security surrounding the building took precautions to not allow a riot to ensue. The PKK members’ caskets were lowered into the earth.

After the funeral ceremony some groups gathered in the crowded neighbourhoods of the city centre and began to make bonfires, barricade streets and shout slogans. In response the police fired the water cannon and tear gas at the groups. The situation spread to other nearby streets as the protestors began to rain stones down on the police.

Original in Hurriyet online edition 09 August 2010
http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/15511853.asp?gid=373