Hediye Ataman, the woman burned alive in her house by Turkish soldiers and police in Van’s Erciş district on November 18, has been laid to rest today.

Ataman’s body was retrieved from the Dursun Odabaşı Medical Center in Van and brought to Erciş yesterday.

The woman's body was washed and buried during a religious ceremony in Çelebibağı Central Cemetary today.

Participants of the funeral went to the condolence tent after the ceremony, and police forces besieged the area with armored vehicles.

Last weekend, Ahmet Ataman’s home in Çelibibağı neighborhood in Van’s Erciş district was raided by soldiers and police. The house was lit on fire, claiming there were PKK members inside, and Hediye Ataman was murdered by soldiers that prevented her exit from the burning house.

Relative Fatma Ataman had told the followings as to how the incident took place: “We woke up to the sound of gunfire. After several shots fired, the house was set on fire. Before the gunshots, there was nothing. The soldiers came and did this, then they found an excuse for it. The woman who owned this house was killed here. She burned to death because they didn’t let her leave the house. We don’t know where Hediye’s husband Ahmet Ataman is. Afterwards, they burned the house down and arrested our relatives under torture. They tore at the faces of people they detained. They didn’t tell us why. They just took them away for no reason.”