Messages of condolences for the death of Nelson Mandela are continuing to flow, as the great former South African president's coffin lies in glass coffin before the state funeral in his home village of Qunu.

Kurdistan Democratic Communities’ Union (KCK) expressed their sadness for the death "of the great democracy and freedom fighter and the friend of the Kurdish People, Nelson Mandela".

The KCK statement said that "Nelson Mandela is not only a milestone in the history-long struggle for freedom and democracy, but also an icon who has carried the struggle to a new stage, himself. He has not struggled only for the people of South Africa, but for freedom and democracy all over the world. He is an icon for the black people and for all Africa. The freedom and democracy struggle in Africa will go on, not falling behind the principles he has set. Real egalitarian and democracy struggle is already going on in South Africa".

The KCK also reminded that "Nelson Mandela proved what a principled struggler for freedom and democracy he was when he rejected the Ataturk Peace Award of Turkey. By giving this award Turkey had intended to disguise and, hence, run more easily its cultural genocide system on the Kurds. But Nelson Mandela rejected this award of a dirty and special war system, on the ground of the cultural genocide policies and practices against the Kurds. Consequently, he ran down Turkey’s intention to abuse the sacred notion of Peace for its dirty war. Therefore, the Kurds will always pay tribute to him".

The Kurds, said the statement "have understood Mandel’s struggle very well and have regarded his struggle as a source of inspiration and a part of their struggle. Mandela has proved that freedom cannot be achieved without paying its price. Kurds are marching to freedom and democratic life, paying the prices no other people in the world has ever paid. On the prison island of Imrali, Leader Abdullah Ocalan’s great struggle and ensuing values will further heighten the great freedom fighter Nelson Mandel’s aspiration for a free and democratic life and lead to the concomitant freedom of Ocalan and the Kurdish people".