JINHA

ÊLIH –Women bore the coffins of Elifİlbaş and KöçerAkay, two YPJ fighters who lost their lives in the YPG/YPJ operations to liberate Kobanê's villages from Daesh gangs, to their final resting place in Batman today. The Batman March 8 World Women's Day action was canceled so that the people of Batman could bid their farewell to the martyrs.

Elif İlbaş (nom de guerre SilavFaraşîn) and KöçerAkay (nom de guerre HêlînJîyan) were honored with a funeral march today. After their autopsy in Urfa, they were brought to Diyarbakır last night and to their final resting place in Batman (Êlih in Kurdish) this morning.

As the martyrs passed through, thousands came out into the streets in Bismil, on the road between Diyarbakır and Batman to cry, "long live President Apo," "our path is the martyrs' path, our party is the PKK" and "Kurdistan will be Daesh's grave." When the funeral procession reached the entrance of the city of Batman, at Bardakçılar, citizens were waiting with a convoy of hundreds of cars and thousands of people.

Women bore the fighters' coffins on their shoulders to the Asri Cemetery, with the attendance of Batman's co-mayor GülistanAkel and MP AylaAkat Ata, as well as other politicians and volunteers from the Democratic Regions Party (DBP) and Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP). Posters of the two women and of the PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan led the march.

"We were ready to celebrate March 8, but today Batman is mourning these two martyrs," said Ayla. "Now let everyone know: here in Mesopotamia, Kurdish women have brought the struggle for March 8 to life. The spirit of March 8 lives on today thanks to the YPG and YPJ fighters.

"They divided Kurdistan into four parts," said Ayla. "But Batman says: this may be Batman but behind us stands Mahabad, Kobanê and Hewler. Let everyone know: Kurdistan is one."

She saluted the resistance in Kobanê, Hassakah, TilHemîs and Maxmur and sent her greetings to İmralı Island, where PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan is imprisoned.

After the speeches, the citizens bid their farewell to Elif and Köçer.

(za/fk/mg/cm)