When the video of an elderly Kurdish woman lighting a small fire and dancing around it alone it was published on Twitter, it created strong emotions and brought tears to the eyes of many who watched it.
In the video Xezal Koyuncu (70) is lighting the small Newroz fire in front of her home, and then starts dancing around it alone.
People began asking who she was, where was she and why was she alone and what was she doing? Mesopotamia News Agency managed to reach the 70 year old elderly Kurdish woman who lives in the Silopi district of Sirnak.
“I do this for those who refuse to accept slavery and who are in the prisons. Other than that, Newroz is already ours, and therefore, after celebrating Newroz with masses, I also celebrate again, alone.” she explains about her action.
After returning from the large Newroz Celebrations she continues to celebrate alone in front of her home.
Here is the reason as she explains: she reminds us Mazlum Dogan, the Kurdish political prisoner who set his body on fire on 21 March 1982 and of the political prisoners who set their bodies on fire in a prison cell on 18 May, 1982, Ferhat Kurtay, Eşref Anyık, Mahmut Zengin and Necmi Öner . Kurdish people call them “The Four”
Xezal Koyuncu says that her action symbolises “The Four”.
“I come and I say with the fire I burned with 4 matchsticks, ‘We are in their way, and I am burning the fire for them.’ ”
She continues:
“We’ve seen a lot of pain, a lot of suffering. We’ve had a lot of pain from the prison dungeons. We will never forget them, and we will never put out the fire they set alight for us. For those who set their bodies on fire in the dungeons, I will continue to light their fires as long as I am alive.”
