Dîrok Cûdî, from a Mihelmî family in Til Hemis in North-East Syria, fought for 7 years in the mountains of Kurdistan, where she arrived in 2017, and fell a martyr in Xakurkê on 24 July.
Dîrok Cûdî (Solîn Başturk) was born in Til Hemis in North-East Syria to a Mihelmi (Arabic-speaking tribal ethnic group) family. Solîn mostly lived in Qamishlo and witnessed the Rojava Revolution. After the revolution, she got to know the PKK more. The war against ISIS, especially the liberation of the Arab people from ISIS, had a great impact on her. Solîn wanted to be a part of the struggle led by Kurdish women. She took to the mountains of Kurdistan in 2017 and joined the guerrilla ranks after recognising the reality of Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan and the PKK.
As a young Arab woman, she took the name Dîrok Cûdî. Dîrok Cûdî described her participation in the guerrilla as follows: “I see it as a great chance for me to come to the mountains. Especially as a woman, it is exciting for me to go to the mountains and take part in this struggle. It is very valuable for me to know my reality as a woman living in these mountains. These have created a memory and belief in me. The difficulties of the mountains made me realise my strength better and love life more.”
Being aware of the need to deepen herself militarily and ideologically, she concentrated on her training and soon became a competent guerrilla of YJA Star (Free Women’s Troops). She expressed her feelings and thoughts about guerrilla life as follows: “What impressed me the most in this struggle was the approach of my female comrades. Every one of my female comrades, some of whom are from different nationalities, come from different cities, different countries and fight for freedom. No matter how much difficulty you face, your women comrades are the first ones to reach out and help you. Especially the fact that women, whom the system assigns only to housework, take up arms and become guerrillas made me very hopeful. This made me take more steps forward, fight harder and make great progress in my personality.”
After finishing HER training, guerrilla Dîrok insistently suggested going to the areas where she would fight against the occupying Turkish state. She fought as a strong-willed and courageous Apoist militant in the Xakûrkê area. Guerrilla Dîrok, who knew no obstacles in her struggle despite all the difficult conditions, was martyred in July 2024. Guerrilla Dîrok became one of the symbols of the common life and struggle of peoples with his struggle.
