Thousands gather in Islanbul to mourn extremist leader

0 Comments | AFP, August, 2008

ISTANBUL (AFP) — Thousands of supporters of an outlawed far-left Turkish group gathered in Istanbul on Friday waving red communist flags to mourn the death of its leader, Dursun Karatas, at the age of 55.

The long procession followed the coffin of the former leader of the Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C) -- listed as a terrorist organisation by Ankara, the European Union and the United States -- to a cemetery in the Gazi district.

"Heros are immortal, the people are invincible! Death to fascism, long live our fight!" shouted demonstrators in the crowd, which weaved its way through Gazi for three hours.

The body of Karatas, who died of cancer, had been repatriated from the Netherlands. The leader of the outlawed Turkish group had lived...