Van- Sakine Cansız (Sara), one of the founders of the PKK, Fidan Doğan (Rojbîn), Paris Representative of the Kurdistan National Congress (KNK), and Leyla Şaylemez (Ronahî) were murdered in Paris on January 9, 2013. On the 11th anniversary of their death, the Free Women’s Movement (Kurdish: Tevgera Jinên Azad-TJA) held a commemoration ceremony with the participation of the members of the People’s Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), the Association for Solidarity with the Families of Prisoners and Convicts (TUHAYDER), the Association of Assistance and Solidarity with Families Who Lost Their Relatives in the Cradle of Civilizations (MEBYA-DER), the Aryen Culture and Arts Association, the ARSİSA Language, Culture and Art Research Center Association, Peace Mothers’ Initiative and many people.

 ‘Nothing could make us take a step back’

After a minute’s silence for those who lost their lives in the struggle for democracy and freedom, DEM Party Van MP Gülderen Varlı made a speech. Although 11 years have passed since the massacre in Paris, the perpetrators of the massacre have still not been revealed. “We know that MIT (The National Intelligence Organization in Turkey) murdered our three comrades. Our three comrades were murdered as a result of Turkey's century-old policies towards the Kurdish issue. The struggle of Sakine Cansız was a women’s struggle. The Kurdish people have been subjected to dozens of massacres during their 50-year struggle. However, nothing could make us take a step back from our struggle for freedom.”

‘Sakine’s struggle is a guiding light for us’

Sakine Cansız is the symbol for women in Kurdistan, Gülderen Varlı said. “Sakine’s struggle is a guiding light for us. We will strengthen our struggle in all facets of life despite arrests, torture and the policy of depopulation. We are ready to pay the price no matter what it is. We commemorate Sakine and her comrades with respect.”