HDP co-chair endorses attending terrorist funerals, probe launched

Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office launched yesterday a probe against Pervin Buldan, co-chair of the pro-PKK Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), for endorsing party lawmakers to attend funerals of PKK terrorists.

In a statement, the chief prosecutor's office said that it was launching a probe against Buldan for her remarks in support of the lawmakers who attended PKK terrorists' funerals.

Last week, two HDP lawmakers, Feleknas Uca and Mehmet Rüştü Tiryaki attended the funeral of Devran Baysal, a PKK terrorist also known by his codename Simko Kerboran. He was killed in a counterterrorism operation in southeastern Turkey's Hakkari on July 8.

Uca and Tiryaki even carried the terrorist's coffin on their shoulders.

Earlier this month, two other HDP lawmakers, Musa Farisoğulları and Remziye Tosun, attended the funeral of Mehmet Yakışır, another PKK terrorist who went by the codename Zeynel. He was killed in an anti-terror operation. Yakışır was accused of killing 15-year-old Eren Bülbül last August in northern Turkey's Trabzon. He was also in the red category of Turkey's most wanted terrorists list. Formed in 1978, the PKK terrorist group has fought a long separatist battle with the Turkish state. Its terror campaign has killed more than 40,000 people, including women and children.

The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the European Union. The Turkish government has long accused the HDP of having close links with the PKK. In November 2016, 13 HDP lawmakers were arrested, and 10 of them, including HDP co-chairs Selahattin Demirtaş and Figen Yüksekdağ, remain under arrest awaiting trial on charges related to being members or leaders of and committing crimes for the PKK.