YJA Star guerrilla Zemyan Deniz underlined that Zîlan means to sprout again, and added: "Zîlan has given birth to new hopes worthy of the meaning of her name."

Zeynep Kınacı (Zîlan), who fell a martyr as a result of the self-sacrificing action she carried out in Dersim on 30 June 1996, was commemorated in the guerrilla areas.

YJA Star guerrillas Rûken Faraşîn and Zemyan Deniz spoke to ANF about Zîlan and her sacrifice.

YJA Star guerrilla Rûken Feraşîn said that Zîlan marked the line of women's freedom and added: "I met a friend of Zîlan when I just joined the guerrillas. She caught everyone's attention in the environment we were in. Her personality was impressive. Zîlan had only joined the guerrillas for a year, said her friend, but got to know the thoughts of leader Öcalan. The Kurdish woman who knew Leader Apo best was Zîlan. She had a spirit of sacrifice in every moment of life. Her depth of emotion and understanding was very advanced.”

Her spirit was strong and lives on

Guerrilla Feraşîn continued: “The comrades who prepared themselves with the spirit of Zîlan put up a great resistance. The actions of comrades Sara and Rûken in Mersin also show that the spirit of Zîlan is strong and alive. The resistance experienced despite the use of all technical and chemical weapons in the war tunnels expresses a steel will. For us, Zîlan's line is the line of freedom and self-sacrifice.”

She left a very important heritage

YJA Star guerrilla Zemyan Deniz explained how she got to know Zîlan as a woman from Gelîyê Zîlan and the effect it had on her.

“Before I joined the PKK, I knew Zîlan by name. She was already known for her action. She left a unique historical legacy both in the history of the PKK and the history of the Kurdish people. Zîlan means to sprout again and she chose the right name for herself. She has retained the meaning of her name. Just as something new is sprouting, so would Zîlan. Within the Kurdish Women's Movement, like YJA Star and PAJK, new saplings are growing in the hearts of each of us. Zîlan gave birth to new hopes worthy of the meaning of her name. The legend of Zîlan gave birth to thousands of Zîlans in the land of Kurdistan. As the YJA Star guerrilla, we will strengthen our struggle in the light of these experiences so that we can raise this flag high in the sky, no matter what. Now they are starving and thirsty in their resistance in the mountains of Kurdistan, in Zap, Avaşîn and Metîna, in the war tunnels, but they are still resisting. It is our duty to protect this struggle.”