The Democratic Press Union (Yekitiya Ragihandina Demokratîk, YRD) announced that Kurdish journalist Aziz Köylüoğlu was killed in a Turkish drone attack in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. “Our valuable colleague and companion Aziz Köylüoğlu was martyred in a cowardly attack by the Turkish state on January 27 in Ranya,” the YRD said in a message on Saturday.

“Comrade Aziz was deliberately targeted because, as a journalist, he exposed genocidal-colonialist, occupying face of the Turkish state and was a freedom militant full of love for his homeland. Those uncomfortable with Aziz's words targeted him in a cowardly attack in an attempt to silence the voice of truth. Like other journalists who have been targeted and killed, Aziz Köylüoğlu was aware of the dangers of his work, but this did not deter him and he showed an unbending attitude. Aziz's unyielding stance in the face of the enemy is the stance and attitude of every young comrade today. Just as these attacks did not make Aziz take a step back, they will not make us take a step back either. On the contrary, they will increase our determination to fight,” YRD stated.

The YRD noted Aziz Köylüoğlu was born in Amed (Diyarbakir) in 1976 and has been working in the free Kurdish media since the early 2000s, including as a correspondent, cameraman, editor, commentator and trainer for newspapers, agencies, TV stations and digital media in Bashur (South Kurdistan) and Rojava.

The YRD remembered the journalists killed in Turkish drone strikes last year; Gülistan Tara, Hero Bahadin, Nazım Daştan and Cihan Bilgin and said that the tradition of a free press would be maintained despite inhumane attacks.

“The fascist enemy may resort to inhumane methods, but none of this will be enough to keep the truth in the dark. We express our condolences to the precious family of our colleague Aziz Köylüoğlu, to all YRD members and to our people, and we reaffirm our commitment to intensify the fight,” the statement concluded.