The communist activist Cafer Kurt died in exile in Greece. Before his remains were sent to Turkey, the long-standing struggle of the former political prisoner was saluted in the Kurdish cultural center in Athens.
Communist activist Cafer Kurt has died of respiratory failure in Athens. The former political prisoner fell ill with Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome after being forced fed during a hunger strike in Turkey and had been living in exile in Greece for years. Before Kurt's remains were sent to Samsun, a ceremony took place on Friday in the Kurdish cultural center in Athens.
The commemoration began with a minute's silence, followed by speeches in Turkish and Greek. Kamil Yildiz, who was in prison with Kurt, told about how the activist became a member of the Turkish Communist Party (TKP) at a very young age and led a revolutionary struggle everywhere. He was arrested in 1997 and represented the Turkish Revolutionary Party (TDP) in the death fast in prison in 2000. After his release, he went into exile. "He was a revolutionary person throughout his life, demanding nothing for himself and dedicating his entire life to the values he believed in," Yildiz said.
In exile in Greece, Kurt became involved in the union for people with disabilities within the Militant Workers' Front (PAME). Union representative Haris Kourdakis said in a speech that Kurt fought tirelessly against the barbarity of capitalism in the class struggle in Greece, despite his precarious health. "He was always with us and campaigned with full energy for the rights of people with disabilities. Just as he took part in the struggle of our people, he also positioned himself alongside the peoples of the world against imperialist attacks. His perseverance and conviction gave us strength and we promise to continue his fight."
