As thousands of people continued on Thursday to bid farewell to police officers killed by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), funerals held in the hometowns of the martyrs were marked by widespread vocal condemnation of both the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government and the PKK. During the funeral held for Kadir Ozkaya, one of the police officers killed in a PKK bomb attack on a minibus in the eastern province of Iğdır on Tuesday, hundreds chanted slogans against President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his son Bilal, saying, "Tayyip, enlist your son in the military" and "Tayyip, send your son to die." Özkaya's parents and relatives were inconsolable as they embraced his coffin. Hasan Özkaya, the brother of the fallen officer, was in tears as he spoke to the press, accusing the AK Party of sharing the blame with the PKK for the deaths of members of the security forces, as the clashes erupted immediately after the AK Party lost its ability to form a single-party government in the June 7 general election. There have been increasing numbers of people being killed in clashes across Turkey ever since the interim Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government lost its parliamentary majority on June 7 for the first time since coming to power in 2002. Since the June election, 120 members of the police force and the military have been killed in clashes with the PKK. In another funeral in Çanakkale province, slain officer Fatih Duru's mother, Azime Duru, lambasted the president, accusing him fooling people by using religion in the name of politics. "He [Erdoğan] waved the Quran at rallies and deceived this nation. People still believe him," she said in tears. President Erdoğan had prompted criticism for abusing religious symbols in the name of politics, especially after he waved a copy of the Quran while addressing crowds at rallies ahead of the June 7 election. During rallies in Diyarbakır and Siirt, Erdoğan had said: "I was brought up with the Quran. I live my life with the Quran. We know the place the Quran has in your lives," holding up a Kurdish translation of the Quran. Another funeral was held for slain police officer Haluk Varlı in Van on Wednesday. The officer's cousin Ahmet Varlı removed a wreath that had been placed on behalf of President Erdoğan. Speaking to the press in tears following the ceremony, Varlı said he holds Erdoğan and AK Party officials responsible for the violence and for the death of his cousin. "They [members of the security forces] died because of his [Erdoğan] ambition to gain 400 deputies in Parliament. That is why I got rid of his wreath," Varlı stated. In Samsun, hundreds of people protested the presence of Youth and Sports Minister Akif Çağatay Kılıç at the funeral of Burak Zor, an officer killed in Tuesday's attack. Relatives of the deceased were heard cursing at the minister. Kılıç was forced to leave the ceremony early due to increased tensions. Police keep lookout at Ankara funeral to prevent protests Another funeral prayer was held yesterday with the participation of top government officials and several military commanders, ministers and relatives for slain soldier Okan Taşan, who was killed by the PKK in the Southeast earlier this week. During the ceremony, security forces took strict security measures to prevent any forms of protest against government members and the president. The funeral, held at Kocatepe Mosque, was attended by acting Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, President Erdoğan, Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli, former President Abdullah Gül, Chief of General Staff Gen. Hulusi Akar, Parliament Speaker İsmet Yılmaz and the victim's relatives. Taşan, who was 29 and serving as a staff sergeant in Hakkari, had a son named Meriç, aged 5. As a surprise gift, Taşan last week sent a bicycle to his son. However, the same day that his son received the gift, he also learned his father was killed in an attack by the PKK. In the meantime, an official ceremony was held in the province of Tunceli for Aydın Nazillioğlu, who was killed when PKK members opened fire on his vehicle on Tuesday. Following the ceremony, Nazillioglu's body was sent to his hometown of Balıkesir for burial.
