The opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has condemned the killing of Necmettin Yılmaz, a 23-year-old teacher who was murdered by the PKK last month in southeastern Turkey's Şanlıurfa.
Speaking at the CHP's group meeting in Parliament yesterday, Kılıçdaroğlu condemned the killing and offered condolences to the young teacher's family and all educators across Turkey.
"He [Yılmaz] was at the beginning of his path. He was born in Gümüşhane and worked in the Siverek district of Şanlıurfa. He brought a new lease of life there. He was not just a teacher but a hero," the CHP leader said.
On June 16, Yilmaz was attacked, kidnapped and later killed by the PKK. He was traveling to Gümüşhane from Şanlıurfa. His charred car was later found in the Pülümür Valley.
His body was discovered near a creek in the valley last Wednesday, confirmed the governor's office in Tunceli after a series of forensics tests in Istanbul. Yılmaz's funeral was held on Sunday.
Kılıçdaroğlu said he condemned all acts of terrorism regardless of the perpetrator; the PKK, the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ), and the Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C), and praised the "continuous anti-terrorism efforts" of the Turkish security forces.
Touching upon the recent commemoration of the July 15 coup attempt on its first anniversary, Kılıçdaroğlu said, "The people of Turkey took bravely to the streets and fought off the coup plotters to protect their democracy.
"The public fought [that night]. Their fight was for humanity," he said.
On Saturday, hundreds of thousands of people gathered for "National Unity Marches" across Turkey to commemorate last year's coup attempt, perpetrated by FETÖ and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gülen.
Kılıçdaroğlu also criticized the government's decision to declare a state of emergency. He said that it was an obstacle to normalization in Turkey following the coup attempt.
The state of emergency was imposed after the coup attempt as part of the government's efforts to investigate the terrorist network and has been extended four times so far.