Memorial on the first anniversary of killing of Kurdish author Suheyl Xurşîd Ezîz

A year ago, the Kurdish author and historian Suheyl Xurşîd Ezîz was shot dead by a killer allegedly employed by the Turkish secret service. To date, the perpetrator has not been caught.

A year ago, the Kurdish author and historian Suheyl Xurşîd Ezîz was shot dead by a killer allegedly employed by the Turkish secret service. To date, the perpetrator has not been caught.

A year ago, Suheyl Xurşîd Ezîz was gunned down in the South Kurdish Germiyan region by a killer suspected to have been hired by the Turkish secret service. To date, the perpetrator has not been caught. In front of Ezîz's house in Kifrî, the scene of the murder, relatives, friends and companions paid their respects to him on the first anniversary of his death.

Suheyl Xurşîd Ezîz was an author, historian and member of the General Assembly of the Movement for a Free Society in Kurdistan (Tevgera Azadiya Civaka Kurdistanê). The 62-year-old, affectionately known as 'Mamosta Şemal', also worked for the Kifrî Agricultural Authority. He was there shortly before the crime. The Germiyan police have yet to identify the killer. According to the Azadî movement, the Turkish government's opposition to the Kurdish grassroots organization, which Ankara classifies as close to the PKK and treats accordingly, was decisive for the murder order.

"For us, Mamosta Şemal was a symbol of resistance against any dictatorship and the revolution of our people," said activists at the memorial. The mourners had brought roses, 62 of them, which they laid in front of Suheyl Xurşîd Ezîz's house.

A sculpture in memory of the writer was also unveiled. The sculpture, made by artists from the Kifri Fine Arts Institute, was placed in the "Square of Civilization" in the center of Kifrî.

Activists also planted several memorial trees. "Trees are symbols of life. They will now grow and find their roots in the ground." It was decided that each anniversary of Suheyl Xurşîd Ezîz's death should be commemorated by planting trees.