On Friday, members of the Mezopotamya Women’s Journalists Association (MKG) and the Dicle Fırat Journalists Association (DFG) visited the grave of Gulîstan Tara in Batman (Elîh).
Tara, a Kurdish journalist, was killed in a Turkish drone attack on 23 August 2024. She, along with fellow journalist Hêro Bahadîn, was targeted while traveling near Said Sadiq (Seyîtsadiq) in the Sulaymaniyah (Silêmanî) province of Iraqi Kurdistan. The drone strike, believed to have been carried out by the Turkish state, specifically targeted their vehicle, resulting in their deaths. The attack was part of a broader pattern of violence against Kurdish journalists in the region, who are often targeted for their work in reporting on Kurdish issues and conflicts.
Speaking at Tara’s grave, Kibriye Evren, a journalist and member of MKG and DFG, vowed to continue their mission of truthful reporting despite the risks. “The voice of the Free Press has never been silenced, and it will not be silenced now. Just as we wrote the truth with our blood in the past, we are prepared to do so again if necessary,” Evren said.
Evren emphasised the organisations’ commitment to honouring the memory of their fallen colleagues. “We promise our martyrs that we will never stop writing the truth,” she added.
