BEHDINAN – In a written statement published by the PKK Solidarity with Families of Martyrs Committee, YJA Star press Saristan Asmin (Leyla Yıldız), who fought for 24 years in the guerrilla ranks, died as a result of a relentless illness.
The committee’s statement stated:
“The Kurdistan freedom struggle expresses a social reality that has great claims for a free life and a free country from the very first day, and which pours into the ranks of the revolution with an endless dedication to realize it. This reality, which has been expressed in the line of Apoist militants who do not recognize any barriers, is still embroidered in history in the mountains, villages and cities of Kurdistan against the attacks of the invading, genocidal Turkish state and against the colonialism of capitalist modernity. Undoubtedly, while this great struggle continues, we are giving martyrs to our comrades, who are the subjects of the clearest and most meaningful life that history has ever seen. Witnessing the creation of moments of freedom with their martyrdom, The struggle of our martyrs, who have an endless march on the basis of the Leader Apo paradigm, which has developed as the hope of a free life in the social crisis the world is dragged into, continues uninterruptedly. One of our comrades who lived according to this reality and had an active and creative struggle in the most difficult moments is our friend Şaristan Asmin (Leyla Yıldız).
Our comrade Saristan, who opened her eyes in Mersin in 1981, is originally from Botan, the ancient places of Kurdish culture, the areas where the Kurdistan freedom struggle flourished. Her family had to migrate to Mersin, a city in Turkey, due to the invading Turkish state’s practices of usurping economic resources as a continuation of the Kurdish genocide policies. The family of our comrade Sharistan continues to preserve and develop their patriotism here as well. Comrade Sharistan grows up under the influence of this deep patriotic culture.
ACCOMPLISHED AT EVERY MOMENT OF COMMITMENT TO THE PKK.
The International Conspiracy, which was developed against Leader Apo in 1998, not only transformed Kurdistan into a field of serhildan, but also had an impact all over the world. In this process, Comrade Saristan also turns his direction to Kurdistan. Returning to Botan, the area where he has historical and cultural roots, in 1999, Saristan heval joins the guerrilla ranks here. From the moment he takes a step into a struggle out of breath, he takes the path of creating great successes by considering living according to the criteria required by the reality of struggle, at the level of a principle. It is based on realizing the beauties of life as a female guerrilla in the mountains of Kurdistan, the intricacies of the struggle against the occupation, and the depth of the PKK comradeship, which is a creative reality, in every moment of her life. He continues his guerrilla struggle, which he started in Botan, in Heftanîn. At the end of 1999, it moves to the Qendil area. He gained great experience by carrying out studies in this field until 2002.
Our comrade Saristan, who moved to the Xinêre area in 2002, participates in the training period within the PJA in order to deepen the line of women’s freedom and to participate in the direction of the Women’s Liberation Ideology determined by Leader Apo. Comrade Saristan, who came to Qandil again with great determination to practice the knowledge he gained from education in life, had an active struggle here until 2005. It is based on constantly equipping itself for a more successful practice by participating in a training period at the Martyr Bêrîtan Academy. Continuing his struggle in the Zap area, Comrade Saristan adds new ones to his war and life experiences here. Comrade Saristan, who has not diminished his excitement in the face of the sincerity of the PKK comradeship and the creativity of the free women’s comradeship integrating with the nature of Kurdistan, throughout his life,
GUN IN ONE HAND, CAMERA IN THE ONE
Our comrade Sharistan Asmîn does not hold back from any work she can do as a guerrilla, knowing that meeting the needs of the universal level reached by the Kurdistan revolution requires a multi-faceted realization. He creates an impact in every environment he enters with his self-sacrificing, participatory personality traits that are fully committed to the values of freedom. With her gun in one hand and her camera in the other, she makes significant contributions to the recognition of the women’s liberation struggle in Kurdistan and in the world. By staying in YJA-Star press work for a long time, his camera expresses how the guerrilla struggle becomes practical in the color of women, with the programs it produces.
Comrade Saristan, who believes that the people’s struggle can be successfully waged in relation to the recognition of the people’s life, determines working in every field as a basic principle. This is basically not limited to what they do in the mountains. When there is a genocidal attack carried out in the person of our Yazidi people living in Shengal by ISIS in 2014, they make great efforts to announce it to the world. Maxmur fights both as a female guerrilla and as a free press employee with his camera in the areas of Kirkuk and Shengal.
EXAMPLE OF UNCONDITIONAL COMMITMENT
In 2016, he attended the Martyr Bêrîtan Academy again. Comrade Saristan, who wants to get to know the people better and share the endless excitement of being a guerrilla by fighting in public as a guerrilla, continues to work in the press after the training. Under the leadership of free women, the free press will have great efforts in the female dimension for the democratic nation revolution to be vitalized and to reach all the peoples of the world. In the process, she falls ill with an incurable disease. While trying to be treated, he continues his walk without losing anything from the hope of a free life, deep love of comradeship, and excitement of struggle.
Comrade Saristan Asmîn, who was the epitome of comradeship, concise participation and unconditional devotion with his life of struggle that lasted for a quarter of a century, left a great legacy of resistance behind him and joined the caravan of the immortals on June 3, 2023, as his illness did not heal. We extend our condolences to the esteemed family of our comrade Sharistan, and to the patriotic people of Kurdistan who resisted the genocide under all circumstances. We commemorate all our martyrs of the revolution with respect and gratitude in the person of our comrade Saristan Asmîn, and we promise that we will definitely realize their dreams of a free Kurdistan, to which they dedicate their lives.”
The identity of the martyr is as follows:
Code Name: Sharistan Asmin
Name Surname: Leyla Yıldız
Date and Place of Birth: 1980/Mersin
Parents Name: Gift-Ali
Date and Place of Participation: 1999/Mersin
Martyrdom Date and Place: 3 June 2023
