Leyla Zana's husband Mehdi Zana has passed away

Former Diyarbakır Mayor Mehdi Zana has passed away at the hospital where he was being treated for COPD. Zana, who had been hospitalized some time ago and was under intensive care, will be laid to rest today at the Yeniköy Cemetery in Diyarbakır.

Born on December 20, 1940, in the Silvan district of Diyarbakır, Zana's original surname was "Bilici." He later changed his surname to "Zana," which means "wise" in Kurdish.

Mehdi Zana, the brother of former DEP MP Şükran Zana, married Leyla Zana in 1975. In his political life, he was among the administrators of the Revolutionary Eastern Cultural Hearths (DDKO). Joining the Workers' Party of Turkey (TİP) in 1963, Zana took part in the establishment of the TİP Silvan Branch and served as its branch president for two years.

Mehdi Zana was elected Mayor of Diyarbakır as an independent candidate in the 1978 local elections. Arrested following the September 12, 1980 military coup, Zana was convicted of various crimes and was held in prisons in Diyarbakır, Aydın, Afyon, and Eskişehir.

Having spent a total of 16 years in prison during different periods of his life, Zana lived in Sweden for approximately 10 years after 1994. Returning to Turkey in October 2004, Zana was released after being detained as part of the cases conducted against him following his return.

News Source: 12punto