Seven fallen soldiers laid to rest

Seven soldiers killed during the current cross-border operation against the terrorist PKK were laid to rest yesterday. Among the thousands of mourners were President Abdullah Gul, Parliament Speaker Koksal Toptan, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Chief of General Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit, Deputy Chief of General Staff Gen. Ergin Saygun, Gendarmerie Commander Gen. Isik Kosaner, Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul, and Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal. The funeral of Gendarmerie Senior Sgt. Huseyin Dogan was held at Ankara 's Kocatepe Mosque. Cpl. Fatih Gok was laid to rest in Kahramanmaras, and First Class Pvt. Ahmet Beyazit was laid to rest in Ordu. The funeral of infantry Cpl. Serdal Cecen was held in Tokat, that of Pvt. Ibrahim Okur was held in Mersin , infantry Cpl. Dursun Demirkol was laid to rest in Corum, and Gendarmerie Commando Cpl. Mustafa Yusuf was laid to rest in Cankiri.