The Coordination of the Party of Free Women of Kurdistan (PAJK) has announced the death of its long-time comrade Pelin Zozan. According to the statement on Tuesday, the 43-year-old revolutionary fighter was martyred at the end of January in an attack by the Turkish state in the guerrilla-held Medya Defense Zones in southern Kurdistan (northern Iraq).

PAJK saluted Pelin Zozan's 23-year career as a militant and her tireless commitment to the liberation of women and her people, saying: “With her determination, courage, and clear stance, Pelin Zozan moved forward tirelessly. Her loss is a deep pain for her family, all women, and the entire Kurdish people.”

The identity of the fallen fighter is as follows:

Nom de Guerre: Pelin Zozan First-Last Name: Pelin Yılmaz Date and Place of Birth: 23. November 1981, Van Mother's-Father's Name: Muhsine – Şemsettin Date and Place of Death: 27. January 2025, Medya Defense Zones

 

A life dedicated to the revolution in Kurdistan

Pelin Zozan was born in 1981 as the only daughter of a patriotic family in the Kurdish province of Van and grew up with four brothers. Her parents' roots go back to Hizan, Bitlis, a region with a deeply rooted national consciousness. She encountered the Kurdish freedom movement at a young age and developed a strong sense of justice towards the colonial oppression of Kurdistan.

Pelin Zozan was already actively involved in the resistance while still at high school. In 2001, she and her brother Azad Serbilind made a conscious decision to join the Kurdish freedom movement. From that moment on, she charted her course with determination and revolutionary clarity.

Inspired by Abdullah Öcalan's ideals, Pelin Zozan deepened her commitment to women's liberation. In the years that followed, she was active in various areas of the movement, took on leadership roles, survived imprisonment by the Turkish state, and held a leading position in the Executive Council of the Kurdistan Women's Community(KJK).

An unwavering pioneer

Pelin Zozan was an exemplary revolutionary in the PAJK: courageous, disciplined, committed, and steadfast in her convictions. Her organizational talent, determination, and charismatic personality made her an influential force within the movement. She passionately trained her comrades, awakened a consciousness of freedom, and inspired many young women to follow their own path to self-empowerment.

The vision of a free Kurdistan and a world without patriarchal oppression drove her forward with unwavering enthusiasm. Her desire to meet the leader Abdullah Öcalan in person, her love for her comrades, and her unshakeable fighting spirit made her a source of inspiration for all those who worked with her.

Following the death of her brother Azad Serbilind in Botan in 2011, Pelin Zozan intensified her commitment even further. Until her last breath on January 27, 2025, in the Medya Defense Zones, she remained a leading force in the PAJK, driven by an unwavering determination to realize the ideals of freedom.

Legacy and mission

Pelin Zozan's life and struggle compel her companions to continue the fight against colonialism, patriarchy, and oppression. Her dreams and commitment live on in the daily struggles of all those who fight for a free society, said the PAJK statement.

“We will honor Pelin's memory by carrying on the ideals of 'Jin, Jiyan, Azadî' (Woman, Life, Freedom). We will take a stand against slavery, sexism, fascism, and nationalism. We will preserve the values that our fallen comrades created and continue their struggles.”

The PAJK called on all women, Kurdish society, and the international democratic public not to let the attacks and murders of leading revolutionary women by the Turkish state go unanswered and to intensify resistance at all levels. “The enemies of freedom will be defeated. Women will be free, and they will liberate the world.”