Kurdish Politicians' Funerals to Be Held in Turkey

The funerals of 3 slain Kurdish female politicians - including PKK co-founder Sakine Cansız - are expected to be held in Turkey after their transportation from Paris where they were murdered on January 9.

Peace and Democracy Party co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş who returned this morning from Paris after having attended the protests on Saturday along with other party officials, said his meeting with French Interior Minister had been positive regarding the murder investigation process.

"As far as I am concerned, there is no solid evidence to shed light on the murder mystery. But the French minister said they were working extensively on the issue, which was a relief for me. I hope the investigation will yield positive results and the culprits will be found soon."

Citing a statement from Kurdish Associations Federation of France, Firat News Agency said the bodies of 3 slain women will be be given to family members this afternoon after their formal funeral procedures are completed.

A farewell ceremony was announced in Paris' Villiers-Le-Bel district tomorrow morning at 11am in Palace De Villiers which was scheduled to end at 5pm.

The agency said the bodies will be sent by plane to Diyarbakir province by Wednesday morning. The funeral of Sakine Cansız was told to be held in Dersim (Tunceli) province while the funerals of Fidan Doğan and Leyla Şaylemez were told to be held in Elbistan district and Mersin province respectively.

First critical reaction from Turkey's Nationalist Movement Party

The first critical reaction regarding the funerals being held in Turkey came from Devlet Bahçeli, Turkey's Nationalist Movement Party chair. He warned that the funeral ceremonies might end up becoming "terrorist propaganda" as he claimed to happen in 2009 when a group of PKK members from Nortthern Iraq were received with a huge ceremony.

Faruk Çelik, Labor and Social Security Minister, also cautioned the funerals were susceptible to provocations. "But Turkey is strong enough to tolerate this. As we sometimes do in other PKK funerals." (NV)