Governorate denies religious duty for martyred PKK guerrilla

Diyarbakır Governorate has not allowed the body of a PKK guerrilla to be taken to Cemevi (Alevi place of worship) for religious duty before burial.

26 years old PKK guerrilla Şahin Kara (Baz Çiya) lost his life in a clash with the Turkish army in the countryside of Dersim's Pülümür district on June 12th.

After the identification of his body in Malatya, his family left for Pir Sultan Abdal Cemevi (Alevi place of worship) in Amed for religious duty before burial in his village.

However, the family was stopped at the entance of Amed city and not allowed to go to Cemevi on grounds of the State of Emergency on Diyarbakır Governorate's order.

Prevented from performing religious duty for their son, the family had to wash the PKK guerrilla's body at a garage in their hometown, Seyit Hasan village in Amed's Bismil district before the burial there.

Villagers lit a fire outside the garage and heated water in big pots, which they later carried into the garage and washed Kara's body with this water. After the body was washed and religious duties were performed, the PKK guerrilla was laid to rest in the village cemetery.

Şahin Kara was a final year student at the Department of Psychological Counseling and Guidance at Pamukkale University when he joined the PKK 5 years ago.