Police attacked ten thousands of civilians who attended YPG martyr Mazlum Altekin’s funeral yesterday and shot a 14 year-old child with a teargas canister in the head.

YPG members Metin Ceylan (Tufan Gernas), Tayfun Kaygısız (Hasan Kıvırcık) and Mazlum Altekin (Botan Gever), who lost their lives in the fight against ISIS in Rojava, were buried during the funerals that took place in Mardin and Hakkari yesterday.

THOUSANDS BID YPG FIGHTER ALTEKIN FAREWELL

Mazlum Altekin lost his life in the fight against ISIS in Kobanê's southern district of Sırrın on May 14, and his body was brought to his native town Yüksekova in Hakkari through the Mürşitpınar border gate. As thousands carried Altekin’s coffin over the Şakitan Bridge, police used armed vehicles to block the Abdullah Canan Bridge as well as the intersection of İpekyolu and Dağlıca roads. 

Hundreds responded by staging a sit-down in downtown area as the funeral convoy reached the Old Central Barrack Mosque. Carrying posters of Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Öcalan and YPG fighter Altekin, the funeral convoy chanted slogans such as “We won’t bow down to oppression!”, “Long Live Leader Apo!”, and “Martyrs are immortal!”

As the religious ceremony that took place in the mosque came to an end, Altekin’s coffin was wrapped in a TEV-DEM flag and carried to the Orman Neighborhood Cemetary. After participants sang the "Ey Reqîp" anthem, MEYADER representative Cengiz Ortaç said the following: “Death is inevitable, but an honorable death is something else. It is wearing the robe of martyrdom for land and honor.”

ALTEKİN FAMILY: CONDOLENCES TO LEADER APO AND PEOPLES OF KURDISTAN

DTK Co-president and HDP Hakkâri Parliamentarian Candidate Selma Irmak criticized the world’s silence over the martyrdom of Altekin. Irmak also added that they are grateful for Altekin’s honorable resistance, which makes people in Kurdistan as well as humanity at large proud.

Speaking on behalf of the family, Altekin’s father Daris Altekin described his son as a martyr of Kurdistan and thanked everyone who have shown solidarity with them. Daris Altekin also wished condolences to Leader Apo and other people from Kurdistan, and the funeral convoy left the cemetery after the burial.

14 YEAR-OLD CHILD SHOT IN THE HEAD WITH A TEARGAS CANISTER

Soon after the funeral, the police attacked the aforementioned young protesters in the downtown area with teargas canisters, rubber bullets and pressurized water. A 14 year-old child was shot in the head with a teargas canister during the attack, and was later carried to the Yüksekova State Hospital.

YPG FIGHTER CEYLAN WAS BID FAREWELL IN SAVUR

Thousands of civilians bid farewell to YPG martyr Metin Ceylan in the Yeşilalan (Barman) neighborhood of Mardin’s Savur district. After the autopsy, Ceylan’s coffin was carried from Kızıltepe İpekyolu Hospital to Ceylan’s village by a convoy of hundreds of vehicles. Here, Ceylan’s coffin was buried after a funeral ceremony.

THOUSANDS BID FAREWELL TO YPG FIGHTER KAYGISIZ IN NUSAYBİN

Tayfun Kaygısız lost his life in the fight against ISIS in Serekaniyê and his body was brought to his native town Nusaybin in Mardin through the Kızıltepe Şenyurt border gate two days ago. HDP parliamentarian candidates, representatives, and nearly 10,000 civilians carried Kaygısız’s coffin and participated in the funeral ceremony that took place yesterday.

TO THE AKP AND ISIS: KURDS DON’T GIVE UP!

DBP Mardin Co-president Perihan Ağaoğlu spoke during the funeral ceremony and called on the Kurds to unite. Ağaoğlu ended by calling on ISIS gangs and the AKP government to realize that “Kurds will never give up on their freedom struggle.” Tayfun Kaygısız’s mother Hafize Kaygısız also spoke during the event. Hafize Kaygısız shared her family’s pride for Tayfun’s sacrifice and ensured the public that Tayfun’s resistance will not be in vein.