Yılmaz Uzun, a People’s Defence Forces (HPG) fighter who lost his life in a 2020 air strike in Siirt (Sêrt), was laid to rest on Friday in a heavily guarded ceremony. The family, who were not provided with a hearse, also reported that the imam was not permitted to lead the funeral prayer. The funeral took place under a security cordon, with only family members allowed to attend.
Following the funeral, a large crowd gathered in Erzurum (Erzirom) to pay their condolences on Sunday. The visit became a focal point for public and political figures who condemned the inhumane treatment of Uzun’s remains, describing it as a “crime against humanity” and one that is increasingly becoming a standard practice of the Turkish government.
Despite police delays and a neighbourhood cordoned off by the gendarmerie, a delegation of pro-Kurdish politicians and a large crowd attended the gathering. Berdan Öztürk, co-chair of the Democratic Society Congress (DTK), stated, “This is a crime against humanity that must be made public. The Turkish state has shown its oppression once again.”
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Çiğdem Kılıçgün Uçar, co-spokeswoman of the Green Left Party, added, “We live in an era where the bones of our children are given to us in boxes. We will continue this centuries-long struggle.”
İbrahim Uzun, the father of Yılmaz Uzun, thanked the delegation for their visit and stated, “Giving us the bones of our children is immoral. But let them know that as long as we have a single drop of blood, we are with our martyrs, we are with the struggle.”
The condolence visit concluded with attendees holding up posters of Uzun and chanting various slogans. The slogans included “Bê Serok Jiyan Nabe”, which translates to “Without a leader, there is no life”, and “Şehit Namırın”, meaning “Martyrs are immortal”.
In a separate event, a group of Kurdish youth in the Demirkapı neighbourhood of Istanbul’s Bağcılar district gathered to protest the inhumane treatment of Yılmaz Uzun’s remains. The youth lit fireworks and chanted the same slogans during their march, amplifying the public outcry against the cruel practice of delivering the remains of Kurdish fighters to their families in boxes years after their deaths.
