Thousands of Kurds attend funeral of Kurdish rebel

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
May 17, 2011

ANKARA, Turkey: Thousands of Kurds have turned out for the funeral of one of 12 Kurdish rebels killed by Turkish troops as they attempted to sneak into Turkey from their bases in northern Iraq.

Turkish media say mourners, waving the red-yellow-green banners of the outlawed rebel group, chanted anti-government slogans as they marched toward the cemetery in the southeastern city of Hakkari on Tuesday.

The weekend’s rebel losses have fueled tensions in the run-up to June 12 national elections. Rebel supporters have attacked police with stones and firebombs in the southeast and in Istanbul.

The rebels have been fighting for autonomy in the Kurdish-dominated southeast since 1984 and have threatened to intensify their attacks if Turkey does not agree to negotiations by June 15.

Source: Arab News.
Link: http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article409937.ece.