Police chief escapes lynch attempt as Uğur Kurt’s funeral held at cemevi where killing took place

ISTANBUL

The chief of the crime unit, Cihat Kayaer, was attacked by a group of demonstrators as he accompanied a prosecutor who arrived at the crime scene in the precinct of the Okmeydanı cemevi.

The funeral of Uğur Kurt was held amid tension on May 23, at the same cemevi in Istanbul’s Okmeydanı neighborhood where he died after being shot by a stray bullet a day earlier, as a police chief narrowly dodged a lynch attempt.

The chief of the crime unit, Cihat Kayaer, was attacked by a group of demonstrators as he accompanied a prosecutor who arrived at the crime scene in the precinct of the cemevi, some 27 hours after Kurt was killed, delaying the funeral procession.

Kayaer took refuge in a television van after being badly manhandled by the crowd. Photos showed that his shirt was torn by the protesters as he was trying to escape from the group. Some demonstrators even attacked the TV van where Kayaer sought protection before he was transferred to the hospital.

Hundreds gathered in the streets for Kurt’s funeral around the cemevi. Located in the central district of Şişli, many middle-low and low-income Alevi families live in the Okmeydanı neighborhood, where a number of leftist groups receive strong support.

The crowd laid carnations at the spot where Kurt was shot inside the cemevi, before cleaning the blood that was spilt after he was shot. Kurt’s body is set to be transferred to the Central Anatolian province of Sivas.

Alevi associations have called for a demonstration to be held at 1 p.m. in Istanbul’s Şişli district on May 25. Representatives of Alevi associations have also announced calls for a gathering in front of the Parliament building in Ankara on May 27, the official day of parties’ weekly group meetings.