Sivas bids farewell to its governor

SIVAS – Doğan News Agency

AA Photo

Governor of the central Anatolian Sivas province Zübeyir Kemelek’s body was brought to the city Feb. 21 for a ceremony after he died early in the morning in a hospital in Malatya due to liver failure.

Kemelek, 60, was in the intensive care unit in Malatya İnönü University Turgut Özal Medical Center, as he had undergone a liver transplant operation in the same hospital Feb. 13. 

The governor’s body was brought to Sivas from Malatya on Feb. 21. After the funeral prayer at the mosque, the coffin was carried to the ambulance on the shoulders of police officers.

A ceremony was held in front of the governor’s building where Kemelek had served for the past one and a half years.

“Despite his serious health problems, the governor conducted his duties with passion and in unity with the people without any discrimination and focusing on how to solve problems. We are deeply sorry for the loss of our governor as his colleagues and the locals of this city,” said Sivas deputy governor Ömer Kalaylı in his speech at the ceremony.

The coffin of Kemelek was sent to Çorum’s İskilip district and will be buried there Feb. 22 at noon.