On the 33rd anniversary of the martyrdom of one of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) pioneer commanders, Bêrîtan (Gülnaz Karataş), YJA Star guerrillas Viyan Avesta, Darsî Amed, and Rojda Brûsk commemorated her and spoke about the legacy of resistance she created.
YJA Star guerrilla Darsî Amed said that Martyr Bêrîtan defined a distinctly women-centered line against the male-dominated mindset. Darsî Amed said, “Comrade Bêrîtan showed us what we must refuse and what we must fight for. Today, the resistance in Western Zap continues in the spirit of Bêrîtan’s line. Her stance and actions have guided our struggle. The fight we wage is not only against the enemy but also against the patriarchal mentality. The line set by Comrade Bêrîtan is an ideological one, it is not merely an armed resistance. Our purpose and effort are to build a new life in the spirit of Bêrîtan, to deepen this line, and to represent all women on this foundation.
Comrade Bêrîtan, through the line she created, clearly showed us how to live the new life, how to unite with nature and truth through the perspectives of President Öcalan. Many women and men have become followers of Bêrîtan’s path because it represents life itself. Essentially, this line answers the question of how one should live. We always say we are fortunate to have such an ideology and such pioneering comrades. For this reason, we will never accept surrender, not even with the last drop of our blood. We will continue to resist surrender in every field and carry on our struggle to the very end, in the line of resistance led by our pioneers and commanders.”
A historic step was taken for women’s military organization
YJA Star guerrilla Rojda Brûsk, reflecting on Martyr Bêrîtan’s influence on the women’s movement and the legacy of resistance she left behind, emphasized the vital role of Bêrîtan’s path in the formation of women’s military organization. Brûsk emphasized that Bêrîtan’s actions played a historic role in the advancement of women’s militarization and continued: “We commemorate Comrade Bêrîtan with gratitude on the 33rd anniversary of her martyrdom and bow respectfully before her memory. Fighters like Comrade Bêrîtan revealed the strength and stance of women across all parts of Kurdistan. Her defiant stand against betrayal is a measure for us. Comrade Bêrîtan took a historic step in women’s military organization. Both through her actions and her leadership, she became the embodiment of the resistant Kurdish woman envisioned by President Öcalan. Although she was a fighter for only one year, she insisted on a free life in the face of conspiratorial and treacherous forces, making her line of struggle clear.”
Rojda Brûsk said, “Bêrîtan rejected the enslaved life imposed by the patriarchal system and declared her existence by saying, ‘I am here.’ The self-sacrificial spirit she created has become a culture for us. Even today, Comrade Bêrîtan’s line remains powerful and inspiring in the women’s military movement. We learned our struggle from these pioneering comrades. For instance, Comrades Sara and Rûken carried out self-sacrificial actions based on Martyr Bêrîtan’s line. Comrades Erdal, Rojhat, and Cumali also became representatives of this path. Comrade Cumali once said, ‘We can achieve success against the male-dominated mindset only with women’s consciousness and within the line of freedom.’ We owe the current strength and visibility of women’s military organization to these comrades. Once again, we remember Comrade Bêrîtan with respect and reaffirm our determination to fulfill the dreams of our martyred comrades.”
Bêrîtan inspired thousands of women to embrace the path of freedom
Guerrilla Viyan Avesta began her remarks by commemorating Martyr Bêrîtan and emphasized her role in shaping the identity of Kurdish women. Viyan Avesta said, “First of all, I commemorate our esteemed commander, Comrade Bêrîtan, and all comrades who sacrificed their lives for this cause, bowing respectfully before their memories. The identity and resistance created by Comrade Bêrîtan became the foundation of our struggle. She never bowed down before traitors and showed us that we must always resist attacks and persist in the struggle for freedom. Comrade Bêrîtan first broke her weapon and then threw herself from the cliffs. Through this act, she inspired thousands of women to embrace the path of freedom and walk in that direction.”
The guerrilla also said, “Comrade Bêrîtan’s action defined an identity and a line for Kurdish women. She taught us how, as women, we can become symbols of freedom. The relationship between Martyr Bêrîtan and President Öcalan is also very unique. Perhaps Comrade Bêrîtan never met the President in person, but she wanted to write his story. She was free in thought and resolute in action. That is why she did not surrender to betrayal and walked firmly on the path of freedom. In the face of treachery and collaboration, she declared without hesitation, ‘I will not surrender; I am free.’ We, too, aspire to attain the identity of the free woman by following Comrade Bêrîtan’s path. On this basis, we will uphold her line and remain persistent on the road to freedom. Once again, we remember Comrade Bêrîtan with respect.”