ŞIRNEX – Despite police intervention, a large crowd managed to break through the police blockade and attend the condolence ceremony for Free Women's Units (Yekîneyên Jinên Azad ên Star – YJA Star) member Berivan Katar. 

 

A mass visit was held in Şirnex (Şırnak) for YJA Star fighter Berivan Katar (Rêvan Aslan), who was reported to have lost her life in an attack carried out in the Zap region of the Federated Kurdistan Region on March 20, 2025. 

 

The visit, organized under the leadership of the Association for Solidarity with Families Who Lost Their Relatives in the Cradle of Civilizations (MEBYA-DER), was initially blocked by police forces in the morning, who also attacked the crowd. Despite the assaults, the group insisted on attending the condolence and, after being surrounded for a long time by hundreds of police officers, the crowd’s determination forced the authorities to step back and allow them to proceed.

 

Gathered in the garden of the condolence house, the crowd condemned the obstruction attempt with a press statement. Speaking during the statement, Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party Şırnex MP Newroz Uysal Aslan said: “Just like the 1990s, there is again a different kind of Republic in Şırnak. They cannot even tolerate a condolence. The governor of Şırnak looks into our eyes and speaks untruths. Repression cannot stop us from protecting our values. Today, Berivan is everyone’s sister. The truth is being distorted. The governor and the police of Şırnak do not want a solution. The people want peace, but the authorities resist it. We will protect our values until the end. We will attend our condolences collectively. Those who prevent this want war, not peace. All of Turkey should see this picture.”

 

After the press statement, the crowd entered the condolence house. The visit began with a moment of silence. Speaking at the gathering, MEBYA-DER Şırnex Co-Chair Emine Akkuş said: “Comrade Berivan is today the martyr of all Botan (Kurdish region in Turkey). We did not and will not accept bans and obstructions.”

 

DEM Party Şırnex Co-Chair Taybet Bilgi also reacted to the obstructions, stating: “There is a process ongoing, but the state has yet to take a single step and is instead blocking condolence visits. We have once again seen the true face of the state today. They are locking condolence houses. The flowers of Kurdistan have been watered with the blood of its youth. We will not forget or let them be forgotten. We will protect our values until the end and will not allow special war policies to prevail. I have known comrade Berivan since her childhood, she never bowed to oppression. Thanks to people like her, this process began.”

 

Berivan Katar’s father, Hüsnü Katar, said: “What we witnessed today saddened us once again. The state’s oppression continues. Since the beginning of the struggle, we made a promise to the martyrs, and we will keep that promise until the end.”

 

During the condolence, participants frequently chanted “Şehîd namirin” (Martyrs are immortal). The crowd stated that they would remain at the condolence house until the evening to support the family.

 

Sadık Külter, who had been detained during the initial police attack, was later released.