Hundreds mourn demonstrator killed in Lice clashes during funeral

ISTANBUL - Reuters

Hundreds of people marched in Diyarbakır to mourn Medeni Yıldırım killed in clashes in Lice. AFP photo

Hundreds of Kurds marched in Diyarbakır at the funeral on June 29 to mourn a demonstrator killed by security forces in clashes that erupted between villagers and security forces in the nearby Lice district.

Turkish security forces had opened fire killing 18-year-old Medeni Yıldırım and wounding ten others during a demonstration against the construction of a new gendarmerie outpost in the Kayacik village.

The mourners in the city of Diyarbakir also warned Prime Minister Tayyip Erdoğan to respect the peace process. "Behave, Erdoğan, don't push us to the mountains!" they chanted, referring to the camps of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in the mountains of northern Iraq from used as bases by militants.

The Kurdish tensions come at a time of increased vigilance and nervousness among Turkish security forces after weeks of anti-government protests in Istanbul, Ankara and other cities in which four people died and thousands were injured.

The incident also appears to be the most violent after the PKK's declaration of a ceasefire and the start of the withdrawal of militants from Turkish soil.

In a mark of solidarity with the Kurds, Turkish public sector workers joined members of the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) in a peaceful march through Istanbul.

The Interior Ministry said four inspectors would investigate the incident, which it said had involved up to 250 people attacking the construction site. It also said the death resulted from warning shots fired to disperse the crowd.