The Tishrin Dam had long been targeted by the occupying Turkish state and its affiliated mercenaries due to its strategic importance. For months, residents kept watching to protect the dam.
During the days when the Tishrin Dam came under attack, Heza left her eight-month-old daughter with her mother and, together with her husband Edhem, traveled from Kobane to join the vigil. Heza and Edhem were later killed in an airstrike by the occupying Turkish state that targeted civilians. Since that day, the family has taken care of Heza’s young daughter.
Martyr Heza’s mother, Zelixa Mihemed, spoke to ANF about her daughter’s determination and sacrifice.
Mihemed said her daughter was strong, academically successful, and top of her class. She said: “My daughter continued her work even after getting married and starting a family. When the Tishrin Dam came under attack, she decided to join the vigil. She left her eight-month-old daughter with me. Every morning, she would call me. One day, she did not answer her phone, and I understood that something had happened. We did not know that it would be her final journey when she went to the village. Then her coffin was in front of me. At that moment, everything became clear; Heza had sacrificed her life to protect the dam. She joined that vigil for our future and for the future of thousands of people.”
Zelixa Mihemed continued: “Heza was a brave woman. She was there not only for herself, but to protect the dam, the water, the electricity, and the land. After her, thousands of people joined the resistance to protect the Tishrin Dam. My daughter’s martyrdom is a great loss for us, but her courage and sacrifice will be an example for future generations.”