People's Defence Units (YPG) Press Centre announced that Xelîl Osman Hemê, known as Apê (Uncle) Nemir, one of the symbols of Kobanê resistance, joined the caravan of immortals as a result of a heart attack on Monday.

The YPG obituary includes the following:

“The process that started with the Arab Spring in 2011 turned into a revolutionary phase in Rojava. The most symbolic resistance of this revolution, which was realised through the common resistance of the people, took place in Kobanê. In September 2014, ISIS carried out a brutal attack on Kobanê. The people of Kobanê and YPG-YPJ fighters put up unique resistance against this attack of plunder and occupation. The people of Kobanê did not leave their places, showing the world clearly how to fight against ISIS brutality. The Kobanê resistance, which turned into the general resistance of Kurds, once again became hope for humanity. With the Kobanê resistance, the peoples of the world saw that there is still a dynamic force fighting against oppression and the enemies of humanity.

Kobanê resistance was developed by the people through their own means. The people of Kobanê, young and old alike, enhanced the resistance by taking part in the battle positions together with their children. Although the people of Kobanê were faced with a barbaric organisation like ISIS, they waged a relentless war together with their fighters without hesitating for a moment, until they reached victory. It turned into a people's war and the people's war was crowned with victory.

One of them was Apê Nemir, who became the symbol of the Kobanê resistance. Apê Nemir, who did not leave his land despite his advanced age, took his place in the battle positions along with his children until the last moment of the resistance.

Xelîl Osman Hemê, nicknamed Apê Nemir, was born in 1950 in Dihap village of Kobanê. He is the only son of his family. He has 5 sisters. Apê Nemir grew up in an environment where patriotic feelings were high since his childhood. He lived his Kurdishness deeply rooted. During the years he was engaged in agriculture, he also followed Kurdish political movements. Due to his interest in politics, he was arrested 3 times by the Syrian regime during his youth. After 1980, he met the Kurdish People's Leader, Abdullah Öcalan. He closely followed the PKK. The emergence of the Kurdish Freedom Movement and its impact on society also affected Apê Nemir. He became a follower of the Kurdish Freedom Movement. Despite the pressure from the Syrian regime, he did not back down and defended his struggle at every opportunity. After getting to know Leader Öcalan, he became an active patriot of the Kurdish Freedom Movement.

Apê Nemir was married and had 6 children. He raised his children with patriotic feelings. Both he and his family took part in all areas of the Kurdish Freedom Movement. Even in the most difficult times, they never retreated for a moment. Apê Nemir, despite his advanced age, never stepped back. He fought for the freedom of his people at every opportunity.

Apê Nemir continued his struggle with the Rojava Revolution. A fierce war broke out across the region. In this historic process, those who walked the path of freedom had to play their part. With this awareness, Apê Nemir and his family took their place in both military and social activities. The first years of the revolution in particular were difficult and the opportunities were very limited. Despite the difficult conditions, he took part in the work for the organisation of the people in many areas and completed his preparations before the great resistance of Kobanê. The Rojava Revolution would take its place in human history as a people's revolution. Apê Nemir would fulfil this role duly.

After 2014, ISIS gangs actively participated in the current war in the Middle East. In the same year, they occupied many regions in Arab lands. Not only that, they attacked Kurdish regions, mainly Rojava. After the Shengal genocide, they carried out a comprehensive attack on Kobanê. ISIS gangs created great fear in the world. Wherever they attacked, they occupied it. They thought that they would occupy Kurdish lands in the same way. However, the Kurdish people responded to ISIS with great resistance. ISIS, thinking that they could easily conquer Kobanê, did not know that they were preparing for their end with the Kobanê resistance.

Kobanê is the place where the Rojava Revolution began. ISIS gangs attacking Kobanê on the instructions of the Turkish state would experience a great break here. In Kobanê, there was a society and fighters like Apê Nemir who did not compromise their patriotism. The Kobanê resistance led by YPG-YPJ fighters took its place in history as a people's war.

Apê Nemir took his place in the resistance from the beginning. Despite all the insistence of the fighters, he did not leave the city. No matter what, he would fight to the end for the land where he was born. Apê Nemir was wounded in the Kobanê resistance, and returned to the positions of resistance before completing his treatment in Pirsus (Suruç). His desire was to take part in the positions alongside the freedom fighters. Despite the difficult conditions and his advanced age, he did not leave the side of the freedom fighters.

Apê Nemir took part in the struggle with his children until the last moment of the resistance. He was now a symbol of the resistance. Later, Apê Nemir was the first to attract the attention of journalists coming to the positions. Now the whole world witnessed what kind of resistance was being waged in Kobanê through Apê Nemir.

Like Apê Nemir, his children also took part in the struggle until the last moment of the resistance. His son Osman was martyred in the ISIS attack on Kobanê in June 2015. Apê Nemir and his family took part in the struggle despite everything. Apê Nemir, who was wounded in his arm during the war and became a veteran, continued his revolutionary activities after the Kobanê resistance. He fought for his people until his last breath.

Apê Nemir became a symbol of the Kobanê resistance and an exemplary patriot. He lived with simple, pure patriotic feelings. He lived and worked for the freedom of the Kurdish people. With his resistance, Apê Nemir became an example of resistance not only for Kurds but for the whole world and humanity. He inscribed his name on the history of freedom as a symbol of patriotism and devotion to his country and people.

We express our condolences to Apê Nemir's esteemed patriotic family and all our resistance fighters and patriotic people for his martyrdom. Today, as freedom fighters defending the gains of the revolution, we promise that we will defend Apê Nemir's tradition of resistance until the end. We reiterate our promise to all our martyrs in the person of Apê Nemir.”