Seyit Evran, a veteran Kurdish journalist who had been active in various parts of Kurdistan and the Middle East for many years, died on 22 September in a hospital in North and East Syria, while receiving treatment for an ongoing heart condition. The region’s Free Press Union (Yekitiya Ragihandina Azad – YRA) made a statement regarding his death.
The union’s co-chair Dilyar Ciziri spoke about Evran’s significant contributions to the free press. “He was the memory and archive of the free press for 30 years … His passion and determination to inform the people enabled him to overcome all obstacles”, Ciziri said.
Evran was born Seyit Mahmut Evran in the Hani (Hênê) district of Kurdish-majority Diyarbakır (Amed), southeast Turkey, in 1969. He grew up in a family influenced by the Sheikh Said (Şêx Saîd) tradition of rebellion. During his years at Çukurova University, he met Gurbetelli Ersöz, a pioneer of the free press and female journalism in the Kurdish press, and became one of her students.
Throughout his life, Evran was committed to informing the public of the truth. “Seyit was a leading militant of the Kurdistan freedom movement and the free press. He proclaimed the reality of the Kurdish people and their freedom struggle to the whole world”, Ciziri added.
Evran had had health issues since 2020, undergoing multiple surgeries for heart problems. Despite these challenges, he continued his work with undiminished morale and enthusiasm. Unfortunately, his heart gave out on the morning of 22 September.
“Seyit Evran was a torch that illuminated our path in the cause of truth and freedom, like Apê Musa, Gurbetelli Ersöz, Halil Dağ, Nûjiyan Erhan, Deniz Fırat, Dilîşan Îbîş and many other defenders of the free press. He left behind a great legacy in his works informing the people”, the YRA concluded.
