HPG guerrilla Mehmet Kocakaya(Þoreþ Amed), one of the two guerrillas who lost their lives in the clash in Bayrambaþý (Sêdepnê) town of Silvan/Diyarbakýr on July 14, was buried at Yeni Köy Cemetery yesterday. Thousands of people attended the ceremony.

Following the autopsy at Malatya Forensic Medicine Institute, Kocakaya’s body was met by a great mass in Diyarbakýr. Thousands of people, including BDP Diyarbakýr MP Nursel Aydoðan and BDP Diyarbakýr Provincial Chair Mehmet Ali Aydýn, walked to the Cemetery for the funeral ceremony after the religious processes at Þefik Efendi Mosque in Baðlar district. The mass carried PKK and Confederalism flags and huge posters of PKK Leader Abdullah Ocalan and Kocakaya and Zeki Çolaker'in (Canfeda Dað) who lost their lives in the clash five days ago when 13 soldiers died and 7 were wounded.

Most of Kocakaya’s body was burnt while his head smashed. Tension rose in the mosque when the police attacked the crowd with tear gas saying they were dispersing children throwing stones.

Kocakaya’s body was carried to the Yeniköy cemetery surrounded by slogans like “martyrs don’t die”.

Making a short speech during the funeral ceremony, father Enver Kocakaya said that the Kurdish people can’t tolerate any more death. Having difficulty in speaking, father Kocakaya said; “My condolences to the Kurdish people, to Kurdistan and to leader Apo”. Following the speeches made during the ceremony, the mass left the cemetery with slogans to visit Dicleliler Mourning house to express their condolences to the family.

Translation: Berna Ozgencil