Journalist Aziz Köylüoğlu lost his life as a result of a targeted attack by a Turkish UCAV (unmanned combat aerial vehicle) in the Ranya district of Sulaymaniyah province, in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, on 27 January.

Born in 1976 in Amed (Diyarbakır), Köylüoğlu started his career in the early 2000s. From working as a reporter and cameraman to serving as an editor, news director, and finally as editor-in-chief, he worked at every level of journalism for many years. He reported from Hewlêr (Erbil) to Sulaymaniyah, Kirkuk (Kerkûk) to Maxmur, and from Derik in Northern and Eastern Syria to Afrin (Efrîn) for newspapers, agencies, TV stations and digital media.

In the past, the Turkish state repeatedly attacked members of the free media through ISIS mercenaries. However, since 2019, it has escalated its large-scale attacks against journalists using drones and artillery fire. As a result of these attacks, 14 journalists have been killed, and 7 have been injured during the past five years.

Dozens of people bid farewell to the Kurdish journalist at the Binarê Qendîl Cemetery of Martyrs in the Qandil region on Friday.

Speaking at the funeral ceremony, Wehab Ahmet, member of the Committee of PKK Martyrs' Families in Southern Kurdistan, said: “Just like the martyrs, we bear the responsibility of waging the struggle for freedom and realizing their dreams. In the person of Martyr Aziz Köylüoğlu, we commemorate all those who have fallen as martyrs in the Kurdish people's struggle for freedom. We pay our respects to all those who walk on the path of the martyrs and raise the struggle.”

Wehab Ahmet reiterated their promise to raise the struggle for freedom, to follow the path paved by the martyrs, and to embrace the struggle of the martyrs of Kurdistan until victory is achieved.

Speaking on behalf of the Free Press, Hewar Muhammed stated that the occupying Turkish state has been seeking to eradicate the Kurdish people and to silence the voice of the freedom struggle for centuries: “In order to achieve this goal, the Turkish state not only kills journalists, but also violates all principles of human rights. They are shedding the blood of journalists before the very eyes of the whole world.”

Hewar Muhammed remembered Gulistan Tara, Hêro Bahadîn and other journalists killed by Turkey in recent years, saying: “This truth shows how much they fear the voice of freedom. Their latest victim was Aziz Köylüoğlu, who had been working as a journalist for 25 years.”

Hewar Muhammed concluded: We, as Free Press employees, will pursue the truth until the bitter end. In response to the occupiers who want to silence us, we will continue to be the voice of truth.”