Guerrilla commander Nûreddîn Sofî was martyred in a targeted Turkish airstrike in southern Kurdistan (northern Iraq) in April 2021. The death of the Kurdish revolutionary leader was announced by the HPG (People’s Defense Forces) on August 11.
The Kurdish commander, who joined the Kurdistan Freedom Struggle in 1990 and led the Rojava and North-East Syria Revolution in 2013, was laid to rest at the Şehid Delil Saruxan Cemetery of Martyrs in Qamishlo, his hometown, on August 12.
Foza Yusif, Co-Chair of the PYD (Democratic Union Party) Co-Presidency Council and Co-Chair of the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES) Diplomacy Delegation, spoke to ANF about the struggle of Nûreddîn Sofî.
Foza Yusif expressed her condolences to the family of martyr Nureddîn Sofî, the Kurdish people, the people of the region, and all of Kurdistan. Emphasizing that Sofi dedicated his life to the struggle for freedom, she said, “This is a heavy loss, not only for the Kurdish people, but also for all the peoples to whom martyr Sofi had dedicated himself with his great love for the people.”
Yusif recalled that Nûreddîn Sofî pioneered organizational and construction efforts in the military and social spheres and played a decisive role in establishing the defense, particularly with the start of the Rojava Kurdistan struggle in 2013. The fallen commander also participated in the establishment of the Democratic Autonomous Administration and TEV-DEM (Democratic Society Movement), and took important steps in the construction of communes and the organization of youth, she added.
Highlighting Sofî’s respectful, egalitarian, and just approach to all peoples, Yusif stated,”Seeking to bring the revolution to success, he was multifaceted, sophisticated, and self-sacrificing in his level of analysis of events and learning from experience. One of his most visible and striking features was his focus on the common struggle for freedom among peoples rather than their differences. He fought and struggled for the dignity of all humanity without distinction among peoples. Through his revolutionary spirit, he became a bridge of freedom between peoples.”
“Martry Sofî’s words and actions were one; he embodied modern leadership in his personality and was an exemplary pioneer,” said Foza. “He always sought to educate himself intellectually and practically, striving to develop popular leadership. He shaped himself through his commitment to camaraderie and his people. In this sense, I can say he was a revolutionary of the Democratic Nation.”
Noting that Sofî’s approach to the struggle for women’s freedom was the most prominent socialist stance of his revolutionary spirit, Foza continued, “I witnessed this many times during the struggle; he attached great importance to the women’s freedom movement. He fought to activate women’s will in the struggle, distancing himself from the patriarchal mindset’s sexist, traditional approach. This characteristic of martyr Sofi is very important. Justice, equality, and the socialist spirit were always at the forefront of his character. He succeeded in becoming a symbol of revolutionary struggle through his honest comradeship with his female friends.”
Remarking that Sofî was a symbol of modesty, justice, collective intelligence, and internationalism, Foza Yusif stated, “He showed great sensitivity in understanding people from different ethnic groups and peoples who joined the revolutionary process, in terms of their feelings, language, and culture. He worked tirelessly to foster a spirit of comradeship with those from other nations. Based on these qualities, I can say that Comrade Sofî was a great laborer of life and thought. He made great efforts to walk together with all segments of society in a spirit of common struggle.”
Stressing that Şehit Nûreddîn Sofî left behind a legacy of courage, determination, comradeship, honesty, and struggle, Foza Yusif concluded, “Martyr Sofî was full of life, unable to stay still. His zest for life, his love, his endless energy, and his deep devotion to the peoples are the light that guides our path. On this path, we will protect the gains of the revolution under the guidance of the principles of struggle he left behind. We will keep his memory alive through struggle and crown it with the victory of a democratic nation. We will walk with honor in the footsteps of the martyrs whose path is our path. We renew the promise we made to all the martyrs of the revolution in the person of the martyr Sofî.”
Background
Nûreddîn Sofî joined the Kurdistan Freedom Struggle and fought tirelessly for 24 years in the ranks of the PKK from 1990 to 2013. He then left the guerrilla ranks and joined the Rojava Freedom Revolution, continuing his struggle for another 8 years. He held the highest levels of responsibility within the Kurdistan Freedom Guerrilla and devoted himself to revolution with passion.
As the Rojava Freedom Revolution grew and the attacks against it intensified, he voluntarily left the guerrilla forces and joined the Rojava Freedom Forces. As a seasoned commander, and a pioneering revolutionary, he went to play a role in the revolution rising in the land of his birth. He took on important military and political responsibilities and played a leading role there as well. Nûreddîn Sofî, a leading revolutionary of the Rojava people, who spent 24 years in the mountains of Kurdistan, was martyred in a Turkish attack on April 6, 2021, while visiting the headquarters of the People’s Defense Center to see his old friends.