Bêrîtan Hêvî (Gülnaz Karataş) fought to her last bullet against the imposed line of betrayal and surrender on October 25, 1992, before destroying her weapon and leaping from the cliffs, embodying the spirit of resistance. On the 33rd anniversary of her martyrdom, she is being commemorated across Kurdistan, Europe, and guerrilla territories.
YJA Star guerrillas Zîlan Aydın Toran and Eylem Harûn told ANF that thousands of women currently fighting in the mountains of Kurdistan are following in the footsteps of Bêrîtan Hêvî.
We will reach freedom through Bêrîtan’s line of resistance
YJA Star guerrilla Zîlan Aydın Toran said they continue their resistance as the successors of martyr Bêrîtan: “As everyone knows, comrade Bêrîtan showed great resistance and paid a heavy price against the line of betrayal and liquidation led by the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP). She raised her struggle on the basis of resistance, freedom, and the ideology of Abdullah Öcalan, reaching the stage of martyrdom. She carried out an honorable act by throwing herself from the cliffs. As Kurdish women and as militants of Öcalan, we want to keep comrade Bêrîtan alive within our own identities. We know that women will achieve freedom by walking the path of true resistance in line with her philosophy of life and understanding of struggle. Women cannot achieve their purpose or attain freedom without recreating themselves through the ideological line of Öcalan. With this awareness, we want to keep comrade Bêrîtan alive and follow in her footsteps, because she represents a fundamental line for all of us. We want to be worthy of her comradeship. Especially as Kurdish women, taking part in the ranks of freedom carries a very different meaning.”
Toran noted that the Kurdish people have been resisting for centuries: “When we look at the history of Kurdistan, we see many pioneering female heroes like Bêrîtan. Examples such as Dimdim, Dersim, Serhed, and Agirî (Ağrı) are links in this chain of resistance. The process currently unfolding under Öcalan’s initiative is the result of all these sacrifices and pains.”
Guerrilla Toran also emphasized that women such as Emine Erciyes and Zeynep Kınacı became examples through their resistance in the line of Bêrîtan.
There must be struggle against male-dominated mentality in every sphere
Toran pointed out that women across the world are subjected to the assaults of the male-dominated system and recalled that the perpetrators responsible for the suspicious death of Rojin Kabaiş in Van (Wan) have still not been found.
Toran said, “The male-dominated mentality attacks women in every sphere of life and does not even allow them to breathe. It is necessary to struggle and to rise up against this,” added that the Kurdistan Women’s Liberation Party (PAJK) plays an active role in many fields in this regard.
Toran emphasized the importance of women’s organization and their need to resist male dominance with their own colors, voices, and cultures. She added: “Women must lead the struggle with their own will. Especially in the process initiated by Öcalan, we want the guns to fall silent and politics to speak. Women can play a very important role in this period. If this process succeeds and society attains freedom, it will be through the labor of women and the Peace Mothers.”
There are thousands of fighters following Bêrîtan’s path today
YJA Star guerrilla Eylem Harûn began her remarks by commemorating all revolutionary martyrs through the example of martyr Bêrîtan, saying that Bêrîtan played a crucial role in the freedom struggle as one of the leading commanders of the movement.
Harûn said, “Comrade Bêrîtan waged the highest level of struggle against traitors and those seeking liquidation in our movement’s history. She never accepted surrender and sacrificed her life through an act of defiance. Today, there are thousands of Bêrîtans, thousands of fighters following her path and carrying her struggle forward.”
Harûn underlined that despite all challenges and advanced warfare technology, the People’s Defense Forces (HPG) and YJA Star guerrillas are waging a powerful resistance: “The life and resistance of comrade Bêrîtan represent a guiding line for us. We are following her path. Each of us wants to become a Zîlan, a Bêrîtan, and continue the struggle.”
Guerrilla Eylem Harûn concluded her remarks with the following words: “Although Bêrîtan was only a one-year fighter, she understood Abdullah Öcalan and fought on that basis. She preserved her spirit of resistance until her martyrdom and never bowed to traitors. In this process, everyone, especially women and young people, must embrace this value socially. Women must organize themselves and continue the struggle against all forms of male-dominated violence.”