The 13 YPG/YPJ fighters who lost their lives in clashes with ISIS gangs in Rojava and whose bodies were handed over to their families after being held at Habur border gate for 10 days have been laid to rest in their hometowns since yesterday, with funeral ceremonies witnessing anger and determination to resist, voiced by the frequently chanted slogan “Murderer Erdoğan”. 

YPG fighter Mehmet Koç (Çiya Agıri), who lost his life in a clash with ISIS gangs in Cizirê canton of Rojava on 14 July and whose body was held at Habur border gate together with the bodies of his 12 comrades, was laid to rest today in Doğubeyazıt district of Ağrı in a ceremony attended by hundreds who welcomed his body with a convoy at the junction of Van-Çaldıran road.

HDP deputies and HDP, DBP executives also attended to the ceremony held in Doğubeyazıt Cemetery, where hundreds of people chanted the slogans “Long Live leader Apo”, “Murderer Erdoğan” and “Long Live Kobanê resistance”.

During the burial, Turkish helicopters flew low above the cemetery.

Speaking at the funeral, MEYA- DER Doğubeyazıt branch representative Mehmet Birdal said the state wanted to intimidate the families of the fighters by keeping their bodies at the border gate for ten days, however it failed to achieve its aim.

HDP Ağrı deputy M. Emin İlhan said in his speech that the Kurdish people will always reclaim the bodies of their children and added that the war waged by Turkish forces today is a war of the “palace” and that they will not send their children to death for the interests of anyone.

Following the funeral, the crowd left the cemetery to join the human shield action in Mount Ağrı.

Five YPG/YPJ fighters, whose bodies were also received only after 10 days at the border gate, were also laid to rest in mass ceremonies yesterday. YPG fighter Mehmet Bulun was laid to rest in Kızıltepe district of Mardin, Ragıp Yıldız in Patnos district of Ağrı, Mümin Kasap in Lice district of Amed, YPJ fighter Fidan Yalçın in Van and HPG guerrilla Mesut Pusat in Silopi district of Şırnak.

Thousands welcomed Bulun at the entrance of Kızıltepe

The body of YPG fighter Mehmet Bulun was welcomed by thousands of people at the entrance of Kızıltepe district of Mardin.

Clashes broke out as the people responded with stones to police forces that fired gas bombs and attacked the mass with pressurized water during the religious ceremony held in the mosque. Following the conflict that lasted an hour, the body of Bulun was taken to the cemetery, while the police attempted to encircle the crowd with armoured vehicles.

Speaking after the burial, Mehmet's mother Gülê Bulun called out to Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan saying that “my son is son of the all Kurdish people” and described the refusal to hand over the bodies of their children as a lack of conscience. Bulun said Kurdish mothers will continue to shout out for peace despite all the pains they continue to suffer.

Ceremony for Pusat in Silopi

HPG fighter Mesut Pusat (Kurtay Cudi) was laid to rest in Silopi district of Şırnak by hundreds who had been taking part in the resistance vigil to reclaim the bodies of the fallen fighters. Welcoming Pusat in Tilqebin neighbourhood, hundreds carried his body to the cemetery on their shoulders while women broke down in tears as they kissed the photos of the HPG guerrilla.

Speaking at the funeral, MEYA-DER Cizre co-chair Kasım Yiğit thanked all the people who were waiting for the bodies under a temperature of 50 degrees for 10 days. Pusat’s mother Kerima Pusat offered condolences to all the Kurdish people and to the Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan.

YPJ fighter Yalçın laid to rest by thousands in Van

YPJ fighter Fidan Yalçın (Jiyanda Çarçela) was laid to rest in Van following a ceremony attended by thousands, who frequently chanted “Martyrs are immortal”, “Murderer ISIS, collaborator AKP”.

The ceremony at the cemetery was also attended by HDP deputies, MEYA-DER and HDP, DBP executives, who all stressed in their speeches that holding the bodies of martyrs for 10 days at the border gate was unacceptable from a moral and conscientious perspective, underlining that the Kurdish people will never give up reclaiming the bodies of their children.

Father of the YPJ fighter, Halil Yalçın said “The martyr here is the martyr of all Kurdistan”.

Thousands attended the funeral of Yıldız in Patnos

YPG fighter Ragıp Yıldız (Dewreş Patnos), who lost his life in the fight against ISIS gangs in Hesekê town of Rojava on July 14, was laid to rest in Dedeli neighbourhood of Patnos district of Ağrı following a ceremony attended by thousands.

Speaking at the cemetery, Ağrı co-mayor Sırrı Sakık urged for the ending of losses of life. Yıldız’s father Adil Yıldız also said peace must prevail instead of deaths.

Ceremony for Kasap in Lice

YPG fighter Mümin Kasap (Bager Farqin) was laid to rest in his hometown Lice district of Amed.

A large convoy of vehicles welcomed the body of Kasap at the entrance of the town before heading to 'Martyr Amed and Martry Hevidar Cemetry' where he was buried following a minute’s silence for all the martyrs who lost their lives in freedom and democracy struggle.

Speaking here, HDP Amed deputy Edip Berk said Turkish authorities lastly threatened the Kurdish people with the bodies of their children as they exhausted all the dirty games they could play on the Kurdish people.

Speaking on behalf of the family, YPG fighter's uncle Hacı Kasap stressed that the Kurdish people are waging and will continue to wage strong resistance against the dirty policies of the Turkish state.