Kurdish activists' bodies returned to Turkey

Jan 17

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Kurdish activists' bodies returned to Turkey

Turkey debates the deaths of three Kurdish women killed in Paris.

A woman mourns the deaths of three Kurdish activists who were found dead on January 11. Photo from @Feleknasuca [Twitter].

Social media users were gripped by the return of three Kurdish activists' bodies to Turkey on Wednesday. The three women, including a co-founder of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), were found in Paris on January 11 in what French police say appeared to be an execution. The attack overshadowed fragile peace negotiations between Turkey and the PKK.

Supporters of the activists greeted the bodies in Istanbul, with some tweeting photos from the airport.

View the story "Kurdish activists' bodies returned to Turkey" on StorifyKurdish activists' bodies returned to TurkeyTurkey debates the deaths of three Kurdish women killed in Paris. Storified by The Stream· Wed, Jan 16 2013 13:17:09Simdi Istanbuldan #ParisMurder #SakineCansiz_FidanDoğan_LeylaŞaylemez http://pic.twitter.com/8RRYpvWwMelisAOne man sitting in the first ambulance is crying while doing a peace sign to the rhythm of the people chants. #ParisMurders #AmedShilanThe coffin of the three Kurdish activists just arrived in Istanbul. #TwitterKurds #ParisMurders http://pic.twitter.com/nfZ3QjadAbdulla HawezCrowd at Ataturk Airport is getting bigger and bigger #TwitterKurds #KurdishUnity http://pic.twitter.com/VmluOM9lArzelaMuch of the grief was focused on Sakine Cansiz, who was a co-founder of the PKK. 'She was our hero, everyone’s hero...Her courage and absolute defiance against torture became legendary.' http://beyan.net/2013/01/13/comrade-sara/ #SakineCansizLawen AzadSakine Cansiz ! http://pic.twitter.com/TSlNZ1I2Shianoviç ✌ Many Turks, however, decried the decision to bring the bodies to Turkey, referring to the women as "terrorists". #TeröristeTörenYapanTekÜlkeyiz ("We are the only country in the world to conduct a ceremony for terrorists") was a top trend in the country.

Translation: "We have the only prime minister in the world who addresses the terrorist leader [PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan] as 'revered'".

#TeroristeTorenYapanTekUlkeyiz teroristlerin ele basina 'sayin' diye hitap eden tek basbakan bizde !İrem Geylan#TeröristeTörenYapanTekÜlkeyiz barış isteyenler kapayın çenenizi o kadar şehitlerimize anlarımıza göz yumamayız ATA'mız da istemezdi böyle.Berkan ARITEKİNTranslation: "Those who want peace, shut up, we can't close our eyes to so many martyrs, our Ataturk (founder of Turkish republic) would not want that".
Other Turks disagreed and advocated for a more moderate stance regarding Kurds in Turkey. Translation: "Instead of saying, 'We are the only country in the world to conduct a ceremony for terrorists', if we said, 'May those who died rest in peace, let's put this behind us, it is time for this war to end' -- it would be amazing".#TeröristeTörenYapanTekÜlkeyiz demek yerine "Ölene Allah rahmet eylesin, helalleşelim, bu savaş artık bitsin" deseydik #MuhteşemOlurduFatih TezcanToplumun ezici çoğunluğu, Türkler de Kürtler de artık süregelen şiddetin olumsuz etkilerinden yoruldu, çözüm ve barış istiyor.Kemal Burkay Translation: "The overwhelming majority of the population, Turks and Kurds alike, are weary of the negative consequences of the ongoing violence, and desire solutions and peace."
Kürtler, cenazelerini toprağa verecek. Matem anında bile onlara dönüp "istismar etmeyin" uyarısında bulunma hakkını kendinde görenler var.Ferdan Ergut@IsinElicin responded to negative perceptions of Kurdish support for the PKK, writing, "When Kurds suffered cruelty and were left alone by us, they turned to PKK that helped keep their heads high". Hakan albayrak: kurtler zulm gorduklerinde bizim tarafindan yalniz birakildiklari icin,baslarini dik tutmalarini saglayan pkk'yi desteklediisinelicinThe return of the women's bodies follows a week of worldwide protests against their killings. Pictures of protests around the world on #ParisMurders. http://pic.twitter.com/B6xc3ZryAbdulla Hawez