In a statement inviting everyone to join the day of tribute, the Kurdish People's Assembly wrote: "Our memorial will have less meaning without the presence of Mehmet's family, friends and supporters as we want to share with you all our grief, pride and love that we have all endured over the past years. It means such a lot to us and I hope it is meaningful for you too to get together to share, support and pay tribute to our dearest Mehmet. He is a shining star and we will never let his memory fade!" 

The statement continued: "As the world watched closely while the Kurdish people fought and defeated ISIS in Syria and Iraq, Mehmet Aksoy, a long-time activist and cherished leader of the Kurdish community in the UK, went to Syria in June 2017 to document this resistance. He was killed in an ambush by ISIS who stormed a compound just outside of Raqqa on Tuesday 26th September 2017." 

The statement added: "The Kurdish people have struggled relentlessly for the world to understand their battle for a democratic, ecological, multi-ethnic, and gender-equal society, which they have been fighting to build in the Middle East. Mehmet Aksoy was a leader in this self-determination effort, spearheading the Kurdish Solidarity movement in the UK and beyond, as editor of Kurdish Question, a website devoted to news, features and commentary about the Kurdish liberation movement."

Mehmet Aksoy

Mehmet Aksoy was born in 1985 to a Kurdish family living in Istanbul. His family migrated to London when he was 4 years old, in 1989, for economic and political reasons.

He first moved to East London and later to North London, where Aksoy became involved in the Kurdish Community Centre as a teen. It was there that he further developed his Kurdish identity and became increasingly political and vocal in the Kurdish struggle.

He was an eloquent speaker and leader at Kurdish solidarity marches and demonstrations throughout the last decade. While in Raqqa he was assisting the YPG (People’s Defence Units, which lead the Syrian Democratic Forces) as a member of the press office making videos, photo stories, and working on a feature-length documentary.

He had graduated from Goldsmiths with a Master’s Degree in Filmmaking. 

The full address of the Kurdish Community Centre is: Portland Gardens, London N4 1HU.