Kurdish politician, writer dies in Turkey at 62

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — A renowned Kurdish academic and politician died in a Turkish hospital on Friday following a brain hemorrhage earlier in the week, his family have confirmed, just a few months after he recovered from coronavirus. 

Halis Yerlikaya, a doctor at Memorial Diyarbakir Hospital told Rudaw that Kadri Yildirim had passed away on Friday, just hours after his family said he was in a coma after suffering a brain hemorrhage on Tuesday.

Kadri Yildirim tested positive for COVID-19 on November 14 and recovered late December after a serious bout of the virus.

Born into a Kurdish family in Diyarbakir (Amed) on February 5, 1959, Yildirim graduated from Harran University’s Faculty of Theology in southern Turkey. He worked as a professor and wrote several books about Kurdish history, language and culture. 

He also served as an outspoken lawmaker for the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) for two terms, defending the Kurdish language and the word “Kurdistan” in the Turkish parliament.

Yildirim “devoted his life to Kurdish language studies and left behind countless scientific works and raised thousands of students. His work and deep knowledge will continue to live with us,” HDP co-chairs Pervin Buldan and Mithat Sancar said in a statement on Friday