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| Thousands gather for funerals of Kurdish activists killed in Paris | Thousands gather for funerals of Kurdish activists killed in Paris |
| (25 days later) | |
| Tens of thousands gathered in Turkey on Thursday for the funeral ceremony of three Kurdish activists shot dead in Paris in an attack many believe was an attempt to derail peace talks. Kurdish legislators, meanwhile, vowed to continue supporting peace efforts to end the decades-long conflict between Turkey and autonomy-seeking Kurdish rebels. | Tens of thousands gathered in Turkey on Thursday for the funeral ceremony of three Kurdish activists shot dead in Paris in an attack many believe was an attempt to derail peace talks. Kurdish legislators, meanwhile, vowed to continue supporting peace efforts to end the decades-long conflict between Turkey and autonomy-seeking Kurdish rebels. |
| The three female activists, including Sakine Cansiz, a founding member of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, were killed last week at a time when Turkey is engaged in talks with the rebels' jailed leader, Abdullah Ocalan, to persuade his group to disarm. | The three female activists, including Sakine Cansiz, a founding member of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, were killed last week at a time when Turkey is engaged in talks with the rebels' jailed leader, Abdullah Ocalan, to persuade his group to disarm. |
| Up to 50,000 mourners assembled behind the victims' coffins draped in the flags of the PKK at a square in the mainly Kurdish city of Diyarbakir for a funeral ceremony before separate burials take place in the victims' hometowns on Friday. | Up to 50,000 mourners assembled behind the victims' coffins draped in the flags of the PKK at a square in the mainly Kurdish city of Diyarbakir for a funeral ceremony before separate burials take place in the victims' hometowns on Friday. |
| The chairman of the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy party, Selahattin Demirtas, told the crowd that the killings would not deter Kurds from seeking peace. | The chairman of the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy party, Selahattin Demirtas, told the crowd that the killings would not deter Kurds from seeking peace. |
| "We stand behind the talks being conducted by Mr Ocalan," Demirtas said. "The crowds gathered here is proof of this. Now is the time for peace." | "We stand behind the talks being conducted by Mr Ocalan," Demirtas said. "The crowds gathered here is proof of this. Now is the time for peace." |
| "The people here aren't vowing revenge even while they are burying their own children," he added. | "The people here aren't vowing revenge even while they are burying their own children," he added. |
| The PKK has been fighting for self-rule for Kurds in a battle that has killed tens of thousands of people since the group took up arms in 1984. Turkey and its US and European allies consider the PKK a terrorist organisation. | The PKK has been fighting for self-rule for Kurds in a battle that has killed tens of thousands of people since the group took up arms in 1984. Turkey and its US and European allies consider the PKK a terrorist organisation. |
| Turkey announced last month that its intelligence agency had resumed talks with Ocalan, on the island off Istanbul where he has been serving a life term since 1999, to try to end the conflict. The government has said, however, that its security forces would continue their military drive against the PKK until the Kurdish rebels were no longer in a position to attack, even as it pressed ahead with the disarmament talks. | Turkey announced last month that its intelligence agency had resumed talks with Ocalan, on the island off Istanbul where he has been serving a life term since 1999, to try to end the conflict. The government has said, however, that its security forces would continue their military drive against the PKK until the Kurdish rebels were no longer in a position to attack, even as it pressed ahead with the disarmament talks. |
| Turkish and Kurdish media reports said Turkey launched aerial attacks on suspected Kurdish rebel targets in cross-border raids in northern Iraq this week. The reports said the Turkish jets struck targets on Mount Qandil in northern Iraq. | Turkish and Kurdish media reports said Turkey launched aerial attacks on suspected Kurdish rebel targets in cross-border raids in northern Iraq this week. The reports said the Turkish jets struck targets on Mount Qandil in northern Iraq. |
| Turkey does not want to halt operations at the early stages of the peace talks, arguing that the PKK has in the past used lulls in fighting to regroup. But Kurdish politicians said the attacks would not help the peace dialogue. | Turkey does not want to halt operations at the early stages of the peace talks, arguing that the PKK has in the past used lulls in fighting to regroup. But Kurdish politicians said the attacks would not help the peace dialogue. |
| "Oh prime minister, you are talking about peace, but you are bombing Qandil at a time when we are burying our three martyrs," Kurdish legislator Ahmet Turk said. "How can you talk about peace and rain bombs on Kurds?" | "Oh prime minister, you are talking about peace, but you are bombing Qandil at a time when we are burying our three martyrs," Kurdish legislator Ahmet Turk said. "How can you talk about peace and rain bombs on Kurds?" |
| The government had urged calm before the funerals, fearing that any major show of support for the PKK could trigger a nationalist backlash in Turkey against any dialogue. | The government had urged calm before the funerals, fearing that any major show of support for the PKK could trigger a nationalist backlash in Turkey against any dialogue. |
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