The General Command of the Women's Defense Units (YPJ, Yekîneyên Parastina Jin) has published a statement in memory of Gülistan Aksoy (Nom de Guerre: Hêvî Gabar). The Kurdish freedom fighter was under medical treatment in Berlin since 2017. In 2015, she had been seriously injured in the detonation of a mine laid by the ISIS in Serêkaniyê in Northern Syria and had to undergo several operations. Among other things she had splinters in her head. On 26 July she died of a disease due to her weakened condition.

"In love and respect we remember our companion Hêvî Gabar, who joined the caravan of immortals. We express our sincere sympathy to her family and our people. Hêvî had dedicated her entire existence to the liberation struggle of her people. Every second of her life she was a source of enthusiasm, morality and hope for others. The loss of a determined and revolutionary friend like Hêvî has left deep wounds. We share the pain of her relatives and our people and are proud of the unique courage and resistance of our friend. Like all our fallen comrades, Hêvî successfully fulfilled her duty to the revolution, to the women and her fellow men and transferred her resistance to us.

Just as Hêvî played an active and decisive role in youth work, in the free press and in the struggle for women's freedom, she took on the same function in Rojava. When the gangs of ISIS and al-Nusra attacked Rojava with extreme brutality, our combative comrade Hêvî, along with hundreds of young people, said to herself: 'I must be there'. Those were the most difficult moments when she became a shield against the occupation alongside her people. On the front lines, together with other YPJ and YPG fighters, she resisted the invaders. She courageously took her place in the offensive for Rojava.

Despite an injury Hêvî sustained in the fight for Til Kocher, she did not leave her friends behind. United in a common struggle, she helped to thwart several attacks of the invaders. In 2015, she went to Serêkaniyê, the centre of the resistance for dignity. There she stepped on a mine laid by the barbaric ISIS gangs and was seriously injured.

Injured during resistance

Hêvî stayed in Rojava for about two more years, where she had her injuries treated. Despite her injured condition, she remained defensive and resistant. She is considered one of the first war-disabled of the Rojava revolution. As such, her motto was: 'As a committee of the war-disabled, which is in the tradition of the Ocalan committees, the line of the martyrs must always be present in our struggle as well as in our lives'. Although she was hardly able to speak, the smile of hope never left her face. At that time the medical treatment possibilities in Rojava were limited, so Hêvî went to Germany. It was serious injuries and serious illness that plagued her. As a result, she departed this life, towards the caravan of immortals.

Her young revolutionary personality, her militant nature and her resistance on the various fronts of the war characterized our friend Hêvî as an example of a revolutionary attitude that stood up for the duties and responsibilities of the time. Her groundbreaking character and atmospheric personality, her anger and rage against the enemy made her an example and showed her perfect struggle. In times marked by the pain of her people and the women's struggle for liberation, Hêvî was a journalist. The whole world looked through her camera lens. She paved the way for the young men and women of her country in the youth work. Where she felt it was necessary, she went to the front lines of the resistance and never took a step back in the fight against the attempts of invasion.

Challenged the enemy

A proletarian of the revolution and a 'hope her friends' [Hêvî means hope in Kurdish] lived with great enthusiasm until her last breath. Dozens of times she challenged the executioners of the ISIS and won a victory over them. Her personality embodied the attitude of the free woman, she was always connected to the way of her fallen friends. Her loss is a directive to us to increase the struggle. As YPJ, we give our word that the attitude, courage and resistance of our friend Hevî will always serve as a guide in our life and struggle. The flag that has been handed over to us for building a free future will fly even higher, and we will carry out our tasks with even more determination. In the person of our comrade Hêvî, we respectfully remember all the martyrs of the revolution and repeat our promise that their resistance and the free life to which they dedicated their existence will be omnipresent.”

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