Leyla Cuma İbrahim, the imprisoned daughter of Kurdish actor Bavê Teyar, sent a deeply emotional message to her father’s funeral, held on 21 January in Qamishli (Qamişlo). The letter was read aloud during the ceremony, moving thousands of mourners with its heartfelt tribute and resolute tone.
“He always had a fighting spirit for Kurdistan and all oppressed peoples,” she said. “His last words before becoming a martyr were, ‘We will not stop resisting. We are not afraid. We are here.’”
İbrahim credited her father Teyar, a celebrated Kurdish actor and cultural figure, with introducing her to the ideals of Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Öcalan. By watching and learning from her father, she came to understand the values of resistance, freedom and the vision of Kurdish self-determination that the PKK embodies. Teyar’s influence was pivotal in shaping her commitment to the Kurdish struggle for freedom and justice, she noted, honouring his unwavering commitment to the Kurdish cause.
“My father, who made me love and understand the leader [Öcalan] and the PKK, was always a comrade to me. His presence now feels even closer,” she wrote, her message resonating with themes of liberty, resilience and the enduring Kurdish struggle for freedom.
Teyar met Öcalan in Damascus during the early 1990s, becoming a devoted supporter of the PKK and Öcalan. He visited Öcalan numerous times. Two of Teyar’s siblings—a brother and a sister—joined the PKK, losing their lives in clashes with the Turkish army in the predominantly Kurdish mountain regions of eastern and southeastern Turkey.
İbrahim, a PKK guerrilla herself, has been imprisoned in Erzincan (Erzîngan) Women’s Closed Prison in Turkey since her capture in the early 2010s in Tunceli (Dersim) province. She used the nom de guerre Amara, the name of Öcalan’s home village, commonly used since Öcalan’s abduction and imprisonment in 1999. The PKK leader’s abduction was widely regarded as part of an international plot coordinated by the CIA, Israel’s Mossad and Turkey’s National Intelligence Agency (MİT). Currently, approximately 10,000 Kurdish political prisoners, including freedom fighters, are detained in Turkey.
İbrahim also extended her condolences to her father’s comrades and all who share in the Kurdish struggle, stressing the importance of solidarity across the generations: “This torch was lit years ago, and we will carry it to the end. To the families of all the martyrs, to the honourable Kurdish people, from seven to seventy [a phrase referring to complete inclusivity, not just to age], we send our condolences and our pledge to continue resisting.”
Her letter also acknowledged the sacrifices of the people of Rojava (North and East Syria) and expressed her gratitude to the Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) for preserving her father’s legacy.
Born Cuma Xelîl, Bavê Teyar was a celebrated Kurdish actor and cultural figure who dedicated his life to promoting Kurdish identity and unity. Throughout his career, he produced numerous plays and performances addressing societal challenges, cultural preservation and resistance, using humour and creativity to inspire his audiences. He was killed on 18 January during a Turkish drone strike targeting a sit-in vigil attempting to protect northern Syria’s Tishreen (Tişrîn) Dam from destruction by bombardment. His participation in the vigil reflected his lifelong commitment to peace and resistance.
The funeral united Kurdish, Arab, Armenian, Syriac and Assyrian communities, demonstrating the broad solidarity inspired by Bavê Teyar’s legacy. The crowd’s chants of “Martyrs are immortal” echoed İbrahim’s closing words: “We are here. We will not stop resisting. Martyrs are immortal.”
İbrahim’s full letter to her father’s funeral is given below:
First and foremost, we extend our condolences to the honourable people of Kurdistan and the leader [Abdullah Öcalan]. My father always possessed a fighting spirit for Kurdistan and all oppressed peoples. The Kurdish people’s embrace of him reflects the value of his lifelong struggle.
His last words before becoming a martyr were, “We will not stop resisting. We are not afraid. We are here.” Today, all patriotic Kurdish people have risen to honour him and his comrades. This torch was lit years ago, and we will carry it to the end. My father, who introduced me to the leader and the PKK and made me love them, was always a comrade to me. Today, I feel his presence even closer.
We, the women comrades imprisoned in Erzîngan, extend our condolences to his family, the families of his comrades who were martyred alongside him, and to all honourable Kurdish people, from 7 to 70. We also salute the noble struggle of the people of Rojava and send our condolences to them.
We will not stop resisting. We are not afraid. We are here. Martyrs are immortal.
On behalf of Kurdish freedom fighters / political prisoners in Erzîngan Women’s Closed Prison.
