Sakine, Fidan, Leyla commemorated at their graves: We will continue the struggle of our comrades

Commemorations at the graves of Sakine Cansız, Fidan Doğan and Leyla Şaylemez were marked by pledges to continue the struggle of the fallen women of the freedom movement.

During the commemorations held at the graves of PKK founding member Sakine Cansız (Sara), Kurdistan National Congress (KNK) Paris Representative Fidan Doğan (Rojbîn) and Kurdish Youth Movement member Leyla Şaylemez (Ronahî), who were murdered by the Turkish state on 9 January 2013 in Paris, a promise was made to increase the struggle for freedom.

Maraş

Fidan Doğan was commemorated at her grave in Elbistan district of Maraş. The Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) MPs Ceylan Akça, Dilan Kunt Ayan, and members of the Free Women's Movement (TJA), Peace Mothers, Democratic Alevi Association (DAD) and DEM Party Women's Assembly as well as Doğan's relatives and dozens of people attended the commemoration held at the cemetery in Xopon neighbourhood.

Before the commemoration, the neighbourhood and the cemetery were blockaded by the police and gendarmerie (military police).

Speaking at the commemoration where the photographs of Sakine, Fidan, Leyla and the murdered women politicians were displayed, DEM Party Amed MP Ceylan Akça said: "11 years ago, 3 of our friends were murdered in the middle of Europe in a terrible conspiracy. While we commemorate them every 9 January, 3 of our friends (Sêvê Demîr, Fatma Uyar and Pakize Nayır) were murdered in Silopi in 2016. In 2021, our friend Nagehan Akarsel was murdered. And they thought that they would make us obey them by murdering women. But we will not obey. This is not the place of those who obey, but of those who turn life into a struggle. We exist and will exist. We will increase the struggle.”

Speaking after, DEM Party Urfa MP Dilan Kunt Ayan said, "11 years have passed, but the Kurdish freedom struggle is still standing. We commemorate those we have lost and promise to increase the struggle. From Mother Taybet to today, the struggle continues and will not end. 'Jin, Jiyan, Azadî' (Woman, Life, Freedom) has spread to the whole world. The struggle of Kurdish women will never end. We promise this to our friend Fidan at her grave."

Democratic Regions Party (DBP) Women's Assembly Spokesperson Berivan Bahçeci drew attention to the Kurdish women's struggle for freedom and said, "We will never leave the flag that our friends handed over to us on the ground. We will carry the flag raised for peace even higher. We commemorate all our comrades who lost their lives with respect."

The commemoration ended with the slogan "Jin, Jiyan, Azadî", "Şehîd namirin" (Martyrs are immortal) and carnations left on Fidan Doğan’s grave.

Mersin

DEM Party MPs Saliha Aydeniz, Perihan Koca and Ali Bozan, Socialist Refoundation Party (SYKP) Co-Chair Canan Yüce, DEM Party Mersin and Adana provincial and district organisations, Peace Mothers and many people attended the commemoration at Leyla Şaylemez's grave in Mersin.

During the march to Şaylemez's grave, the crowd frequently chanted "Jin, Jiyan, Azadî" and at the grave, they paid homage to the revolutionary women who were martyred in the Paris Massacre and in the Women's Freedom Struggle.

DEM Party MP Saliha Aydeniz reacted to the fact that the perpetrators of the 3 Kurdish women have not been revealed for 11 years and France's attitude towards the massacre. Aydeniz said, "While France is yet to reveal the murderers, Evîn Goyî and two other Kurdish comrades were also murdered in France. We know that the murderers of the women killed in Europe are the same."

Aydeniz continued: "Those who want to divide the Kurds into four parts and leave their struggle breathless murdered Nagihan Akarsel in Bashur. They murdered Hewrîn Xelef in Rojava. In Bakûr, they murdered Seve, Fatma and Pakize. In Rojhilat, they murdered Jîna Amini, with whom the struggle for women's freedom spread all over the world. The philosophy of 'Jin, Jiyan, Azadî' and the Kurdish women's struggle has spread all over the world today. We promise here, at Leyla's grave that we will continue this struggle. We will continue the struggle of our comrades until freedom comes to Kurdistan. Kurdish women will never take a step back, never give up on freedom. We will fight every day, every minute, every second."

After the speeches, roses were left on Leyla Şaylemez's grave.

Dersim

DEM Party Dersim Provincial Organisation organised a commemoration event at the Democratic Alevi Associations (DAD) building for Sakine Cansız, Fidan Doğan, Leyla Şaylemez and Sêvê Demîr, Fatma Uyar and Pakize Nayır who were murdered during the curfew declared in Silopi district of Şırnak between 2015-2016. 

Members of TJA, DEM Party Women's Assembly Spokesperson Halide Türkoğlu, Dersim MP Ayten Kordu, Peoples' Democratic Congress (HDK) Co-spokesperson Esengül Demir, DAD Co-chairs Kadriye Doğan and Zeynel Kete, Peace Mothers and many people attended the commemoration. 

The banner "Our whole life was a struggle, the warriors of humanity are creating freedom" was hung in the hall where the commemoration was held. Photographs of the murdered women were hung and candles were lit.

The commemoration started with a minute of silence for those who lost their lives in the struggle for democracy and freedom. A screening on the murdered women was made afterward.

HDK Co-Spokesperson Esengül Demir said, "We know that these political massacres were carried out with a highly planned and organized mind. It has been 11 years since the massacre, and the killers are still in the dark. The trials were for show. We can say that these political massacres are the common work of the Turkish state mind and NATO Gladio mind."

Pointing out that the massacres were carried out to keep down the Kurdish movement, Demir said, "After this chain of massacres, the peace process was interrupted, and policies of aggravated isolation were put into effect. The struggle, however, was not abandoned with the loss of these women resistance fighters. Sakine and her likes have pioneered the Kurdish women's movement and the world women's movement. Just as the women's struggle grew with the Mirabel sisters, it grew with the struggle of the likes of Sakine. Sakine, Pakize, Sêvê are our honour. We will claim this honour after them."

DEM Party Dêrsim MP Ayten Kordu said, "Sakine was a comrade who fought both against the male-dominated system and for the freedom of all peoples. With the words 'My whole life was a struggle, we follow a path that tries to understand her march, to move forward through her memories and to be worthy of that legacy. Sakine was a child of Dersim. She had a stance against denial and annihilation. This politics of denial still continues. We commemorate her with respect and love in the land of Dersim. We will struggle until the isolation (of Abdullah Öcalan) in İmralı Prison is ended. We will continue our freedom march until the truth is faced and those responsible for these massacres are exposed. We will struggle for our democratic rights and our right to equal citizenship."

After the commemoration, Sakine Cansız's grave was visited. The police allowed only 10 people to visit the grave. A delegation consisting of Halide Türkoğlu, Ayten Kordu and Peace Mothers were able to attend the commemoration at the cemetery. Prayers were recited and flowers were left on the grave. 

Speaking at the grave of Cansız, Türkoğlu said, "The Kurdish women's movement has become known in the world thanks to her struggle. I would like to say this to comrade Sakine; your struggle is echoing all over the world today. Women all over the world in Kurdistan say 'Jin, Jiyan, Azadî'. Sakine's idea is coming to life everywhere, becoming immortal everywhere. We will hold the killers to account. We took this resolute stance from comrade Sakine, and we will continue to protect this resolute legacy."