Twelve years have passed since the assassinations of Sakine Cansız (Sara), Fidan Doğan (Rojbîn), and Leyla Şaylemez (Ronahî). While the suspected assassin, Ömer Güney, who died under suspicious circumstances in prison, was revealed to have ties to Turkey’s National Intelligence Organisation (MİT), the case remains unresolved as the French state has declared the files a state secret.
Eren Keskin, co-chair of Turkey’s Human Rights Association (İHD) and a lawyer, spoke to Mezopotamya Agency about Sakine Cansız, whom she first met in 1991 at her office and later during visits to Europe. Describing Cansız, Keskin remarked that “She was one of the most influential women I’ve ever met.”
Recalling the day in 1991 when Cansız, recently released from prison, visited her office, Keskin shared, “From the moment she arrived, her sincere personality shone through, and we began conversing about almost everything. At that time, many Kurdish prisoners were being released. Previously, Turkish courts had freed socialist prisoners, but this inequality was challenged before the Constitutional Court, forcing the release of Kurdish prisoners as well. Sakine Cansız was among those released following this ruling, which addressed the injustice.”
Speaking about an evening organised for recently released Kurdish prisoners, which she attended with Sakine Cansız, Eren Keskin recalled that “We sat at the same table. We talked about many topics that day and planned to explore Istanbul together the next day. Later, we did just that. She spoke deeply and vividly about the pressures she faced, the injustices in Kurdistan, and the horrors of the torture she endured in Diyarbakır (Amed) Prison.”
Sakine Cansız always spoke of peace and fighting for peace
“What struck me most during our conversations was her unwavering belief that this region desperately needed peace and equality—a land where citizenship is founded on equal conditions. I never saw or heard her glorify war. She always spoke of peace and fighting for peace,” Keskin emphasised.
Keskin shared that she frequently encountered Cansız at panels she attended in various cities across Europe. “I had gone to the Netherlands for a panel and was staying at a Kurdish friend’s house. That evening, Sakine Cansız also came over. We spent the entire night discussing women’s rights and how to dismantle male dominance. Her ideas truly had a profound impact on me. That night, she also told us about her struggles against male-dominated attitudes within her own circle of friends.”
As their conversation continued, Keskin recalled, “Suddenly, there was a loud noise, like an explosion. Naturally, we all looked outside, only to realise it was a trash bin that had burst. Something that might happen once in 40 years in the Netherlands coincided with our gathering. We laughed so much that night, joking about how the explosion had chosen our meeting. I’ll never forget it; it will always remain in my memories.”
The day of the assassination
On the day Cansız was assassinated, Keskin recalled seeing news reports about the murder of three women. She added: “My first thought was to call Rojbîn [Fidan Doğan]. I wanted to find out who the victims were, so I called her, but she didn’t answer. Rojbîn was an exceptionally educated woman who always served as my interpreter during my visits to Paris and knew everyone in the parliament. I didn’t know her real name was Fidan. Sadly, I later learned that the three women killed were Sakine, Rojbîn, and Leyla [Şaylemez].”
Eren Keskin highlighted that she personally knew Ömer Güney, the assassin of the three Kurdish women, and that she believes that he was carefully selected. “He had acted as my translator during a parliamentary meeting I attended in Paris. When his identity was revealed and it became known that he was recruited as an agent, we were even more shocked. The assassin was chosen with meticulous planning and precision,” Keskin explained.
“Ömer Güney was well-dressed, well-connected with foreign politicians, and known for his role as a Kurdish translator. That someone so embedded in Kurdish political circles could commit such a murder suggests that he was tied to a centre of power—perhaps multiple centres. But the question remains: who orchestrated this? It has never been uncovered,” Keskin added.
Keskin also recalled another tragic attack, nine years after the murders of the three women. On 23 December 2022, a gun attack in Paris claimed the lives of Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK) Executive Council member Emine Kara (Evîn Goyi), Kurdish artist M. Şirin Aydın (Mîr Perwer), and Kurdish patriot Abdurrahman Kızıl.
From Sara to Gulistan, Hêro, Nazım and Cîhan
“Kurdish killings abroad are not a new phenomenon,” said Keskin, emphasising that as long as the Kurdish issue remains unresolved, the threat of assassinations will persist. Keskin also noted that these killings are not isolated incidents, pointing out that the murders of figures like Nagihan Akarsel, Gulistan Tara, Hêro Bahadin, Cîhan Bilgin, and Nazım Daştan are deeply tied to the lack of resolution of the Kurdish question.
Keskin emphasised: “I knew the most recently murdered journalists, Nazım and Cihan. Both were journalists reporting on human rights, and they frequently attended and filmed our panels. These two individuals were well-known, respected Kurdish journalists. Their murders are yet another tragic outcome of the unresolved policies surrounding the Kurdish issue. Unfortunately, the lack of significant response from Turkey’s domestic public is another issue. It is only the Kurds who voice opposition to these injustices.”