Zeynep Kinaci (nom de guerre: Zîlan) is one of the most well known militants of the Kurdish women’s movement. At a time when the Kurdish women’s movement was under massive attack, the then 23-year-old took the initiative and carried out an action in Dersim (tr. Tunceli). She detonated a bomb in a military parade, killing and injuring several soldiers. Zeynep Kinaci also lost her life as a result of the action on June 30, 1996.

The Co-Presidency of the KCK (Kurdistan Communities Union) Executive Council released a statement paying tribute to Zilan and calling on the Kurdish people, international friends and all militants of freedom to make an effort to deepen their understanding of Zilan, to make this understanding known everywhere and to participate more strongly in the global freedom campaign for the physical freedom of Abdullah Öcalan.

The KCK statement released on the occasion of the 28th anniversary of Zilan’s martyrdom includes the following:

“If someone truly wants to understand Rêber Apo (Leader Abdullah Öcalan) and his role within the Kurdish struggle for freedom, he or she must act, live, and struggle like Zilan. Back then, she stated that she took this action as a sign of her great love and devotion to free life, which is embodied in Rêber Apo. She strikingly demonstrated how great results can be achieved when one manages to organize their consciousness and will for freedom. She expressed this truth not by talking about it but by living it. Expressing the truth by living accordingly is one of Zilan’s most fundamental characteristics. Zilan is a great personality who surprised those who were hostile to life, freedom, and humanity by attacking them. At the same time, she brought new hope to her friends and humanity, but particularly women.

Comrade Zilan has shown through her life and her action that a free life without great action is impossible. If one is to be free, he or she must conduct great action and be a person of struggle. This understanding is very close to the way of free life that Rêber Apo has defined for Kurdistan. Rêber Apo has stated many times that there can be no free life in Kurdistan without the consciousness of freedom and the struggle for it. He, in fact, started this struggle based on this philosophy. After analyzing the reality of Capitalist Modernity, Rêber Apo broadened this understanding and pointed out that this is valid not only for Kurdistan but for our age and all over the world. Comrade Zilan is the personality who most deeply lived according to this truth.

In this respect, Zilan is the person closest to Rêber Apo. Although they have not physically seen each other, being so close to the reality of Rêber Apo and being integrated with him to such an extent is another striking characteristic of Zilan. This is a result of deepening the struggle for and commitment to freedom. In this sense, Zilan has become the symbol for understanding and integrating with Rêber Apo’s philosophy. As we have pointed out above, if one wants to understand Rêber Apo, he or she must live and struggle like Zilan.

Another aspect that defines Zilan’s greatness is that she fought and defeated the male-dominated mentality. With her action, she showed that it is the woman who is the most patriotic, the most socialist, the most self-sacrificing, and the most libertarian. In this way, it has brought sovereign masculinity to historical account, eliminated historical injustice, and given justice to those who have the right to it. Today, this line has turned into the greatest freedom movement that stands for the freedom of life with the slogan ‘Jin, Jiyan, Azadî’. Our free women’s movement has deeply analyzed and revealed this historical reality.

Undoubtedly, the most fundamental expression of Zilan’s personality is that it reaches the peak of self-sacrifice. Comrade Zilan organized herself on the same line of being self-sacrificial as Egid (Mahsum Korkmaz, the first commander of the Kurdish guerrilla. He fell martyr in combat on March 28, 1982, in the province of Şirnak), and she brought this struggle to its peak. She left her mark on the way the guerrilla fights and lives. She showed that those who struggle for freedom are stronger in the face of the material-technical power of the rulers and that this power comes from the will of organized people who are deeply committed to freedom. She has proved Rêber Apo’s statement that the greatest technique is human. The Kurdish freedom guerrilla fights with this understanding, defending the people, freedom, and human dignity against the fascist, genocidal, and occupying army everywhere.

Once again, we commemorate our great militant of freedom, comrade Zilan, and bow with respect in front of her precious memory. It is more important than ever to live the way she did and to deepen in her understanding of life. Particularly in such a historical period, in which we are in a fierce fight with the fascist, genocidal and colonialist enemy. On this basis, we call on all our people, international friends and all militants of freedom to make an effort to deepen their understanding of comrade Zilan, to make this understanding known everywhere and to participate more strongly in the global freedom campaign for the physical freedom of Rêber Apo. Participation in the global campaign in the spirit of Zilan will surely bring us success.”