Deniz Firat was one of the first journalists to report on ISIS attacks in Kurdistan. On August 8, 2014, she reported for the last time by telephone from the front in the Maxmur refugee camp and was hit by a piece of mortar shell.
Leyla Yıldıztan, who was born in 1984 in Xecîxatun village in Çaldıran district of Van province, was known as Deniz Fırat in the PKK ranks. Since her village was located on the border between Turkey and Iran, her family was repeatedly subject to attacks. For this reason, her family moved to Maku in 1990 and then to Urmia in Rojhilat (Eastern Kurdistan, Iran). After a while, they settled in Xakûrkê in southern Kurdistan (northern Iraq).
Deniz, who stayed in Xakûrkê in 1991-1992, witnessed the attacks on Southern Kurdistan with the co-operation of the Turkish state and the ruling party, KDP. In this process, Deniz and her sister Sarya (Sakine Yıldıztan), influenced by the martyrdom of Bêrîtan (Gülnaz Karataş) who rejected the KDP's betrayal and chose resistance, decided to join the PKK. Her sister Binewş (Ayfer Yıldıztan), who had joined the PKK before Deniz, was martyred in a clash in Zap in 1997. Deniz only heard about the martyrdom of his sister Sarya, with whom she had joined the struggle, two years later, on 8 August 1999. Deniz was active in many areas in the guerrilla ranks and started to take part in press and media activities in 2007.
Starting her career in the press with the magazine "Tanrıça Zilan" [Zilan the Goddess], she also worked for the "Dengê Welat" [Voice of Homeland] radio. Later, in Maxmur Camp, she reported news for "Rojeva Welat" newspaper and various TV channels and agencies. She also wrote articles for the magazine "Zilan the Goddess". As a revolutionary journalist, she closely followed the attacks launched by ISIS against Maxmur on 6 August and was martyred on 8 August 2014 during these attacks.
On the tenth anniversary of her martyrdom, Deniz Fırat was commemorated at her grave in the rural neighborhood of Xeçxatun in Van’s Çaldıran district.
The commemoration ceremony organised by Mesopotamia Women Journalists Association (MKGD) and Dicle Fırat Journalists Association (DFG) was attended by members and executives of the Çaldıran District Organisation of the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), Free Women’s Movement (TJA), the Association for Assistance and Solidarity with Those Who Lost Their Relatives in the Cradle of Civilisations (MEBYA-DER) and the Peace Mothers' Assembly.
The commemoration started with a minute of silence in memory of the free press workers who lost their lives in the struggle for democracy.
MKGD member Zelal Tunç recalled that Deniz Fırat was on the front lines during the attack and showed her courage by saying "I will fight with my camera, you go!".
Zelal Tunç said, "As free press workers, we will follow Deniz Fırat's struggle. We will not leave the pens and cameras of the fallen companions unclaimed.”
MEBYA-DER Co-Chair Yusuf Dündar emphasised that Deniz Fırat had a prominent personality in the struggle and did not let go of her pen until her last breath. Dündar said: "We respectfully salute our friends who lost their lives in the struggle."
DEM Party Çaldıran District Co-Chair Pınar Demir stated that Deniz Fırat and her fellow fighters left a great legacy as Kurds, women and free press workers. "We will continue their struggle in all the institutions we are in,” Demir said.
Peace Mother Assembly member Züleyha Tunç condemned the ISIS attack, the KDP's cooperation with the AKP and called on the KDP to "stop your dirty cooperation as soon as possible. Stop slaughtering your brothers and sisters."
Carnations were left on Deniz Fırat's grave at the end of the commemoration.
