Turkish protest singer dies in Paris

PARIS, France (Reuters) -- A Turkish protest singer wanted in Turkey for alleged links to separatist Kurdish rebels died of a heart attack on Thursday, a spokeswoman for the Kurdish community in France said.

Ahmet Kaya, a 43-year old ethnic Kurd, collapsed at his home in the south of Paris during the morning.

"He was a very great musician, loved by both the Turks and the Kurds," the spokeswoman said.

Kaya had lived abroad since early last year when he was charged with aiding and abetting the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) which fought a guerrilla war for Kurdish autonomy in south-eastern Turkey.

He will be buried at Paris' famous Pere Lachaise cemetery with such musical luminaries as French singer Edith Piaf, Polish-born composer Frederic Chopin and U.S. rock star Jim Morrison. No date was set for the burial.

Kaya aroused controversy in Turkey by speaking out in favor of the Kurdish language at an awards ceremony in 1997, the spokeswoman said.

Turkish newspapers pictured him performing in Europe in front of rebel flags and pictures of PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan.

Turkish authorities show little tolerance for those suspected of sympathy for the PKK or its one-time aim of self-rule for the mainly-Kurdish southeast of Turkey. The PKK says it now seeks to apply political pressure on Turkey to grant Kurdish cultural rights.

Since winning European Union membership candidacy last year, some Turkish officials have shown signs of willingness to ease restrictions on Kurdish broadcasting and education.

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