Ahmet Kaya commemorated at his grave in Paris

21 years after his death, Kurdish musician Ahmet Kaya has been commemorated at the Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris. The singer and composer from Malatya had to leave Turkey in 1999 due to a smear campaign and death threats and died of a heart attack on November 16, 2000 in exile in Paris. Hostilities against the Kurdish artist have not ceased even after his death, and just a few days ago his gravesite in the famous Paris cemetery was vandalized. The city council of Paris condemned the “hate-driven vandalism” and sent a wreath to the memorial service organized by the Kurdish cultural movement TEV-ÇAND, the Kurdish women’s movement in France TJK-F and the Democratic Kurdish Council in France (CDK-F).

The commemoration began with a minute of silence for all revolutionary martyrs. Afterwards, Ahmet Kaya’s widow Gülten Kaya took the floor and said: “I feel what everyone present here feels now. Your support gives me strength as always. The solidarity with Ahmet and our being together gives me hope for the future. We can continue on our way if we give each other strength. It is good that you came.”

The spokesperson for the Kurdish Women’s Movement in France, Berivan Firat, said in a speech, “Ahmet Kaya was like a family member to all of us. He was our musician and our representative.” The activist condemned the destruction of the gravesite and said that the mindset behind it was common: “Neither the living nor the dead are respected. We know this from our country and we see it here in Paris as well.”

Berivan Firat recalled the execution of Seyit Riza and his companions in 1937 and quoted the last words of the leader of the Dersim Uprising: “I have not been able to cope with your lies and deceit, that is my sorrow. That I have not fallen on my knees before you shall be your sorrow.” This word is still valid today, said Firat and added, “We have not bowed to fascism and dictatorship and we will not do so in the future.”

After further speeches, the commemoration ceremony was concluded with a musical contribution by TEV-ÇAND.

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