Respect for the Dead Initiative speaks out about the violence in Mîr Perwer's funeral

Photo: MA 

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Respect for the Dead and Justice Initiative, founded after the conference on October 8-9, 2022 in İstanbul shared a written statement on the blockade by the security forces at the funeral of Mîr Perwer in Muş, in eastern Türkiye, who was one of the three persons killed in the Rue d'Enghien shootings that took place in Paris near the Ahmet Kaya Culture on December 23.

"We remind that one least common denominator of common life is the principle that people must respect the dead," said the initiative

Blockade to coffin at airport

The dead body of the musician Mîr Perwer who was killed in the shootings on December 23 was brought to the Muş airport on January 5, 2023, in order to be buried in his homeland. A large group including People's Democratic Party (HDP) MPs wanted to take the coffin of Perwer. However, the security forces told the crowd that they would only allow 20 vehicles the license plates of which they had been notified before to pass through.

While the group was prevented, only the MPs and the relatives of Perwer were allowed to enter the airport road.

The family members requested that the dead body should first be brought to the family house which was rejected. Perwer's disabled mother, his wife, and other family members had to go to the airport and identify Perwer there.

Perwer's dead body was taken out of the airport in an escort vehicle and taken to the village where he was going to be buried, not using the autobahn.

The vehicles of the HDP MPs met with a gendarme barricade at a point approximately of 4 kilometers from the village. Only the ambulance carrying the coffin and the escort vehicle accompanying were allowed to pass. Family members, MPs and the people were not allowed, including Perwer's wife.

Water cannon vehicles and detentions in funeral

Although the family members were able to reach the village after a brawl due to the blockade, they saw that there was another blockade one kilometer from the graveyard. The family was able to bury their deceased only after passing through this second barricade.

The gendarme attacked the group, consisting of the people who wanted to express condolence to the family and the HDP delegation who wanted to make a statement to the press with tear gas and pressure water. 31 people were detained. The place where the people expressed condolence to the family was also blocked and water cannon vehicles and police vehicles were kept surrounding it.

"Shaking fingers at the dead"

Respect for the Dead and Justice Initiative issued a statement about the funeral of Mîr Perwer and said, "Unfortunately, the violence by the state forces at Mîr Perwer's funeral is not an isolated case in the Republic of Türkiye. As our initiative emphasized repeatedly since its foundation, what is being done to the dead bodies is the most naked aspect of the policy followed.

"The state is using violence to the funerals of different circles in different periods, torturing, preventing the dead to be buried regularly, harassing the family and friends and with this finger shaken at the dead, trying to give a message to us, to large sections of the society. They are drawing a political framework about which dead bodies are worthy of respect and for which ones, the use of violence is legitimate."

Respect for the Dead and Justice Initiative was declared with a conference in Istanbul in October

"Principle of respecting the dead"

The statement further said, "As the Respect for the Dead and Justice Initiative, we tell that we do not accept this framework, that we know that the violence against the dead bodies is also being used in order to oppress those alive and that all dead bodies including those of the Kurds, Alevites, Armenians, Assyrians, Jews, LGBTİ+, women, workers, migrants, opponents, poor should be buried with equal treatment and with respect."

"We remind that one least common denominator of common life is the principle that people must respect the dead and invite the Republic of Türkiye to respect this rule and to act accordingly."

What happened?

Three people were killed and three others were wounded in an armed attack near the Ahmet Kaya Cultural Center in Paris on Friday (December 23).

The 69-year-old suspect was detained after the attack.

It was announced that the suspect who is a retired engine driver in railways attacked a migrant camp using a sword before on December 8, 2021, in Paris and was charged with attempted murder.

Paris Prosecutor Laure Beccuau confirmed that the aggressor was released one year after this attack.

The suspect was taken to a psychiatry clinic following his detention after the attack and detained again after the examination at the clinic. He was taken to the courthouse to give his statement on December 26.

A formal investigation was started about the suspect who is being charged with "murder or attempted murder based on race, ethnic origin, nation or religion and keeping a weapon without permission."

Demonstrations were organized on Saturday (December 24) in Paris. Participants gathered in the Republican Square and started a march after a stand in silence. However, there was a conflict between the police and the demonstrations after some provocation by some showing a wolf's sign, symbolizing extreme Turkish nationalists.

The demonstrators threw objects at the police while the police used pepper gas. France Info reported that at least four vehicles were toppled and at least one vehicle was put on fire in the events.

Another silent march was organized on December 26 in Paris to pay tribute to the three persons killed.

The ambassador of France in Ankara was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and told that "black propaganda was made against Türkiye" in the demonstrations that started in France and that Ankara was "uncomfortable about this." 

A ceremony was organized in Paris that thousands of people participated on January 3 before sending three Kurdish victims of the Rue d'Enghien shooting to their homelands. (AÖ/PE)