To Our People and Public Opinion

Throughout history, women have been pioneers and have become a legacy of a free and meaningful life. Through their resistant and militant stance, they have played a pivotal role and emerged as symbols of free life in every moment of its existence. They have exerted unparalleled efforts for a free culture and identity. Our comrade Mezkîn Jiyan carried the burden of the revolution on her shoulders and became an architect of a meaningful life for all her comrades. We extend our deepest condolences to the founder of the free life, Leader Abdullah Öcalan, to the family of our martyred comrade, and to our patriotic people.

Our comrade Şükran Yıldız, known by her nom de guerre Mezkîn Jiyan, opened her eyes to life in the ancient city of Mardin, in the village of Dengiza. From this pure source, Comrade Mezkîn received the seeds of patriotism. Her family and social environment in Tori were known for their social values and passion for freedom. This deep-rooted heritage of Mardin instilled in her character the essence of faith and loyalty. Her spirit was forged with a sense of retribution against occupation, and with the culture and ethics of this land. The patriotism of Mardin—rooted in labor, land, and identity—transformed into a great revolutionary determination in the person of Comrade Mezkîn. Thus, when she took her first steps toward the free mountains, she drew her strength from this deep-rooted source and from the sea of patriotism flowing in the heart of every loyalist.

In 1989, as waves of uprising were rising across Kurdistan, she encountered the Freedom Movement and grasped this historical reckoning. For her, 1989 was not merely a year; it marked the beginning of national consciousness and freedom. At such a young age, the revolutionary spirit spreading throughout Kurdistan ignited a spark in her heart. This awareness paved the way for her to understand the reality of occupation and to take a stand against the historical oppression of her society. The impact of revolutionary activity and the people’s struggle in 1989 led her, nine years later, in 1998, to make the most decisive choice of her life and set out for the free mountains with great determination.

Comrade Mezkîn Jiyan did not view struggle solely within the limits of being a fighter; she aspired to become an intellectual revolutionary who felt the philosophy of freedom in every cell of her being. To achieve this, she embraced central education and ideological academies within the ranks of the struggle. Through these studies, she reconstructed her personality on the basis of a democratic, ecological, and women-liberationist social model. With immense effort, she embodied the philosophy of Leader Abdullah Öcalan in her life. She strengthened her memory and conviction through Jineology, and in the face of five thousand years of patriarchal consciousness, she possessed an unwavering will to struggle. For her, education was not merely the acquisition of knowledge, but a process of self-realization and self-transformation away from the impositions of the capitalist system. She saw every moment of education as a battlefield—against the dominant system and against the remnants within herself—and deeply embedded the ideology of women’s freedom into her character.

For years, Comrade Mezkîn Jiyan struggled for freedom on the lofty peaks of Kurdistan’s mountains. She stood as a living testament to the philosophy of free life, expressing her spirit in every step through guerrilla warfare. When the brutal onslaught of ISIS (Daesh) targeted human values and our Yazidi people, Comrade Mezkîn advanced to the frontlines upon the command of the forces. She made extraordinary efforts in the resistance of Şengal (Sinjar) to avenge Yazidi women and to protect the dignity of our people. In the darkest moments, when our people were under grave threat, Comrade Mezkîn stood as a shield against barbarity. Following the defeat of ISIS in Şengal, she once again moved to the frontlines—this time in Rojava Kurdistan—with the same revolutionary spirit. Across every corner of Rojava’s land, she fought gangs hostile to women and life with a will of steel. From Şengal to Kobani, Comrade Mezkîn became a symbol of national unity and of the determination of revolutionary women who forged light against the darkness of the century.

Finally, Comrade Mezkîn headed to the city of resistance, Kobani—a city that, through the heroic sacrifices of Arîn and Rîvana, became a fortress of human dignity against the darkest era of the century. Kobani is not merely a city; it has become a symbol of the defeat of occupation and the first seed of the women’s revolution.
On this sacred land, where hundreds of heroic women have inscribed immortal epics, the militant Mezkîn stood tall with steadfastness and revolutionary resolve. She fought the invaders’ barbarity with fierce determination at every front. In the most critical moments, when attacks intensified by every means, Comrade Mezkîn—armed with the memory and conviction she had gained from the philosophy of Leader Abdullah Öcalan—did not allow the enemy to advance a single step. With unyielding will, she resisted the invasion until her final breath and never retreated until the moment of her martyrdom. She did not bow before the enemy of the people and became a living legacy for all women striving for freedom. Unable to withstand her will in direct confrontation, the enemy sought revenge for its defeat in Kobani through cowardly methods. Yet Comrade Mezkîn did not deviate for a single moment from her goals of freedom, even when she was targeted by a reconnaissance attack of the gangs. She walked proudly toward the caravan of the immortals. This cowardly attack stands as the clearest evidence of the occupiers’ impotence in the face of the women’s revolution.

As a resisting and revolutionary woman, she lived a unique experience in accordance with the principles of the “free woman” and the “free homeland.” Undoubtedly, she paid a heavy price to protect her existence and realize herself. Those who illuminate our path are the legacy of freedom-loving martyrs. Throughout her life, she forged meaning moment by moment and built an unbreakable bond and unwavering loyalty with her comrades.
Comrade Mezkîn Jiyan has become a pioneer of the free life. We pledge to our honorable and dignified comrade that we will realize her dreams and aspirations for a free life step by step by intensifying the struggle. We will not retreat from our goals for a free future. We will continue the struggle relentlessly until our Leader is free and a free life is achieved. We bow with reverence before her courage. We renew our condolences to her family and to our freedom-loving people. And we renew our pledge to Leader Abdullah Öcalan and to the martyrs: we will crown Comrade Mezkîn’s struggle with victory.

Nom de guerre: Mîzgîn Jiyan
Real name: Şükran Yıldız
Place of birth: Mardin
Mother’s name: Hamîda
Father’s name: Şerîf
Place and date of martyrdom: 26.01.2026 – Mêlî village / Kobani

General Command of the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ)
08.02.2026