Zeynep Kınacı was 24 years old when she blew herself up on her own initiative on 30 June 1996 during a flag raising ceremony of the Turkish army in the centre of the Dersim province. With her action, the female guerrilla, whose nom de guerre was "Zilan", set a signal for the Kurdish freedom movement, especially the women's movement.

"The enemy is waging an all-out war against us. Our answer must be total resistance in the fight for our freedom." This sentence was in one of the letters that Zilan left behind, addressed to the Kurdish people, PKK, Abdullah Öcalan, Kurdish women's movement, Turkish government, world public and international institutions. She carried out her action at a time when the Turkish state's war of annihilation against the Kurdish people were reaching an unbearable level. At the same time, an attempt was made to assassinate Abdullah Ocalan in his accommodation in Syria.

"Great changes sometimes require significant means"

In her letters, Zilan explained that only the resistance struggle of PKK saved the Kurds from total annihilation. To lead a society whose culture, identity and consciousness has been almost completely assimilated to a great resistance struggle requires great sense of responsibility, historical awareness, courage and determination. With her action, she set a turning point in the annihilation policy of the Turkish state and the resistance fight of the Kurdish population against it. According to her own statements, she chose this means in the awareness that "great changes sometimes require significant means".

"Her name stands for a great love of life"

The women's guerrilla force YJA Star (Yekîtiya Jinên Azad) said in a message on the occasion of the 24th anniversary of Zeynep Kınacı's death that her action has set the "measure of resistance, love for the motherland and love for life and their own people".

YJA Star said: "Her name stands for a great love with a great passion for life. Her action symbolizes the uncompromising willingness to stand up for free life against fascism and occupation and shows an extraordinary courage and a high degree of sacrifice. She thereby stirred up the fire of freedom and symbolizes our compass, which shows us the right direction."

"Spirit of Zilan is reflected on all fronts of resistance"

The statement of YJA Star continued: “Even almost two and a half decades after Zilan's martyrdom, her action shook the invasive mentality of the colonialists. Thousands of women continue the culture of resistance and selflessly defend the values of free life. In doing so, they follow Zilan's line. The Turkish state is trying to destroy the Kurdish people and their forces of freedom with the support of international forces and collaborators. In all parts of Kurdistan, especially in Southern Kurdistan, there are many occupation attacks. But even here, Kurdish women are fighting against the occupants with an iron will. Because the spirit of Zilan is reflected on all their fronts of resistance.”