As Violence Spreads in The Cities Again...

Selahattin Demirtas, the head of the Diyarbakir branch of the Human Rights Association (IHD), Meral Danis Bestas, board member of the Diyarbakir Bar Association, and Deniz Gorduk, news editor of Gun (Day) Television in Diyarbakir, said it is worrying to see that the impact of the increasing number of operations and clashes are spreading to cities. They said this leads to tension among people.

On June 27, a funeral ceremony was held for PKK militant Ahmet Okur, who died during an operation in the province of Bingol last week. Police intervened in the crowd that chanted slogans and marched after the funeral that was held in Diyarbakir.

Ten people were injured and ten people, including two children, were detained while the police used gas bombs and opened fire in the air.

"Clashes may spread into big cities"

Diyarbakir IHD head Demirtas said the events that took place in Diyarbakir after the funeral were the "spreading of increasing number of clashes to the cities."

"The same things happened in the past," said Demirtas. "As the number of rural clashes increase and bodies start coming, tension in the cities mount. If violence continues, we are worried it may spread to big cities."

Demirtas said that everyone should spend serious effort to help end the clashes and added:

"Everybody should clearly understand this: The grief that is felt by the mother of a dead soldier is the same with the grief felt by the mother of a guerilla. One grief cannot be seen as different and superior compared to the other. Thus, nobody can ignore the grief and reaction of the relatives of the guerillas. Any peace initiative should take this reality into consideration."

"Intervention in protest and marches has become harsher"

Diyarbakir Bar board member Bestas expressed concern about the violence.

"We are seeing that intervention to protest and marches has become harsher recently," said Bestas. "However, interventions have to be conducted in a more democratic way at times of tension."

"As a lawyer living in the region, I find the developments grave," said Bestas adding:

"For peace to be established, those responsible for the death of that person in Van need to be brought to justice. The method of intervention by security forces need to change and senior officials should make statements about such incidents."

Gorduk: The pains of the past shouldn't be forgotten

"There are reports about a new operation or clash every day," said Gorduk from Gun TV. "Tension is mounting each day. It is saddening for me to cover these incidents as a reporter who has witnessed the pains of the past."

"It shouldn't be forgotten that a new period of clashes would lead to grave developments," he said, adding that everyone should work for peace.

Police fired in the air

Okur's body, which was brought to Diyarbakir was received at the Karcali Village by a convoy made up of 30 cars and was taken to the Yenikoy cemetery.

A group of about 1000 gathered at the cemetery and chanted slogans such as: "Martyrs don't die," "Ocalan is people, people are here," and "PKK is people, people are here."

The group marched to the 5 Nisan Neighborhood after Okur's burial. Police said it would intervene unless the group stops chanting slogans. Police then fired warning shots in the air, used tear gas and intervened in the crowd with armored vehicles.

The group responded by hurling sticks and stones to the police. Ten people were injured and ten others, including two children, were detained. (KO/TK/EA/YE)