The Free Women's Press (RAJIN) released a statement paying tribute to Gulistan Tara and Hêro Bahadîn who lost their lives in a Turkish UCAV attack in Sulaymaniyah city in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq earlier today.

Commemorating the martyrs of the free press, the Free Women's Press (RAJIN) stated the following: “We will make the struggle of Gulistan and all the martyrs of the free press the basis of our work in the struggle for a free and equal life. Their struggle will be strength, faith and the light of truth for us. The free press will never step back from its struggle to be the voice of truth despite all the attacks, pressures and arrests that try to silence the truth.

Our colleagues Gulistan Tara and Hero Bahadîn were the targets of such an attack. Our friend Gulistan Tara has fought in many fields as a free press worker since 2000. She continued her work in South Kurdistan (North Iraq). Comrade Gulistan Tara tried to expose the situation of Kurdish women, the attacks of the Turkish state against the Kurdish people, the collaborative betrayal and corruption of the KDP, and to publicise the truth. Hêro Bahadîn, on the other hand, continued her press work as a young journalist. These two friends of ours were targeted by a Turkish attack and martyred today. We are deeply saddened and we extend our condolences to their families, their fellow members of the free press and the Kurdish people.

On the other hand, the capitalist and male-dominated system also organises intense attacks against women. The duty of the women's free press is to fight against these attacks and expose the male-dominated state mentality. Many of our female journalist friends resisted the genocidal attacks with their struggle for freedom in the most difficult times. We have to fulfil this duty today as well. The struggle of Gulistan Tara and all the martyrs of the free press must continue to pursue the truth and result in victory. As the women's free press, we will continue to struggle on the path of our fallen friends.”

RAJIN emphasised that Gulistan Tara was a revolutionary spirit who upheld the tradition of free press and continued: “Working to reveal the truth of the people requires a revolutionary stance and at such moments the journalist assumes a revolutionary identity. As the women's free press, we, like our friends, will stand against KDP's collaboration and betrayal. Like Gulistan Tara, Nûjiyan Erhan, Deniz Fırat and our other friends who were martyred on this path, we will not remain silent against this dishonour and will continue our struggle.”

Stating that they will make the struggle of Gulistan Tara and all the martyrs of the free press the basis for establishing a free and equal life, RAJIN said: “Their struggle will be a source of light, faith and truth for us. The struggle of the free press will never be stopped by attacks, oppression, arrests and silencing efforts. We will continue this stance that we learnt from Gulistan's struggle. The women's liberation struggle will triumph with the philosophy of ‘Jin, Jiyan, Azadî’ [Woman, Life, Freedom] and our search for truth will always grow stronger.

With this belief, the memory of Gulistan Tara and all the martyrs of the free press will always be kept alive. Once again, we commemorate our friend Gulistan Tara and reiterate our commitment to our martyrs.”