Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - The Dogan news agency says thousands of people have attended the funeral of the mother of popular Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Tenzile Erdogan, who was 83, died in a hospital on Friday, days after a gall bladder operation.

Dogan said thousands of people filled the courtyard of an Istanbul mosque where funeral prayers were held before the burial Saturday, and spilled out into the street.

Erdogan, who helped carry the coffin along with President Abudullah Gul, was seen weeping.

The state-run Anatolia agency said U.S. President Barack Obama, British Prime Minister David Cameron, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Syrian President Bashar Assad are among leaders to have expressed condolences.

Erdogan, who came to office in 2003, has won three successive elections.

* AP