Journalist Cîhan Bîlgîn

Cîhan Muhammad Nesîn Bîlgîn grew up in a family in the city of Mêdyad in the Mêrdîn region of North Kurdistan, during a time when the Kurdish freedom movement was at its peak across all of Kurdistan in 1996.

Cîhan completed her primary, middle, and high school education in Mêdyad, where she was known for her passion and high energy. She later moved to the city of Amed in 2013 to study law. It was there that her first steps in the Kurdish people’s struggle began. In 2014, alongside her law studies, she entered the field of journalism, starting by distributing newspapers published by the Free Media, Özgür Gündem and Azadiya Welat.

For Cîhan, the three years she spent distributing newspapers were a form of struggle for freedom and democracy. These newspapers were vastly different from the Turkish media, which solely served the authorities, denied the existence of other communities, and waged intense media wars against the Kurdish people and their fighters. Despite severe harassment from the authorities, including the closure of Azadiya Welat in the summer of 2016, Cîhan remained undeterred.

Due to the pressure she faced and her inspiration from the July 19, 2012 revolution in North and East Syria, Cîhan moved to Rojava in mid-2017 and joined Hawar News Agency.

Cîhan distinguished herself with her constant passion for growth and her tireless work ethic under all conditions. She initially worked as a reporter in the Qamishlo area, known as the political center for Kurds in North and East Syria. She rapidly developed her skills, understanding that journalism required building an extensive network of contacts. She tirelessly worked to establish connections across the region’s diverse communities, Kurds, Arabs, Syriacs, as well as prominent figures, national personalities, political parties, and organizational entities, while also expanding her network across Kurdistan.

Her primary focus was shedding light on the system of torture and annihilation imposed on Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan and the policies practiced against him and the Kurdish people. She also closely covered military and political developments.

Cîhan participated in the campaign to liberate the city of Raqqa from ISIS, the group’s stronghold and self-proclaimed capital. She once stated, “My participation in the campaign is to highlight the struggle of the Syrian Democratic Forces and the Women’s Protection Units in liberating Yazidi women, who were sold in slave markets, and freeing the people from ISIS oppression.”

During her coverage of the Raqqa liberation campaign, Cîhan brought global attention to the extraordinary struggle of the Syrian Democratic Forces and the Women’s Protection Units. She showcased their human values, particularly during the liberation of women from ISIS tyranny. She believed that freeing each woman was a step toward building a democratic society based on women’s freedom.

Cîhan was one of the female journalists deeply engaged with the philosophy of women’s liberation and the democratic nation. She viewed any attack on any woman in the world as an attack on all women and produced numerous reports documenting crimes committed against women in the region, Kurdistan, and the world.

Her notable progress within ANHA agency led to her transfer to the Special Reports Department, which requires meticulous research and investigation. In a short period, she excelled in the department, producing dozens of reports and files on Turkey’s colonial policies against the Kurds, the treatment of leader Abdullah Ocalan, and the intricacies of these policies. She also focused on women’s struggles and Turkey’s occupation policies against the Kurds.

Through her work, Cîhan became acquainted with most Kurdish politicians across Kurdistan and connected with feminist and democratic movements worldwide. She conducted numerous interviews, ensuring the Kurdish issue and Kurdistan were placed on their agendas.

Known for her dedication to tracking all developments and events, Cîhan documented Turkey’s invasion of Girê Spî and Serê Kaniyê on October 9, 2019. She exposed the brutal massacres committed by Turkey against the local population and continued to produce reports highlighting these crimes.

She also took it upon herself to cover operations led by internal security forces, the Syrian Democratic Forces, and the Women’s Protection Units against ISIS cells in the region, particularly in Al-Hol camp. Her goal was to shed light on the brutality of these cells that sought to destabilize North and East Syria.

Cîhan loved sharing the stories of the people in the region. She had a deeply emotional side, particularly when witnessing the tragedies faced by the Kurdish people. On December 6, she traveled to Tabqa to document the suffering of forcibly displaced people from Afrin and Shahba following Turkish attacks on November 29.

Following intensified Turkish attacks on Manbij, Qereqozaqê Bridge, and Tishrin Dam south of Kobani, she sought to highlight the resistance of Manbij Military Council fighters and the struggles of women within the ranks of the Women’s Protection Units. Her last interview was with a frontline commander, Roj Engîzek, in the Kobani countryside.

Cîhan remained committed to her work until the very end. On December 19, at 15:20, while returning from Tishrin Dam alongside her colleague Nazim Dashatan, they were targeted by a Turkish drone strike on the Tishrin-Serrin road, where both attained martyrdom. They followed in the footsteps of free media pioneers like Mazlûm Dogan, Xelîl Dag, Gubetellî Ersûz, Mistefa Mihemed, Rizgar Deniz, Dilîşan Îbiş, Hogir Mohammed, Saad Ahmed, and Issam Abdullah.

Throughout her time with ANHA agency, Cîhan Bîlgîn embodied resilience and pride. She regarded Gurbet Eli Ersöz, the founder of Kurdish women’s media, as her role model and martyr Seyîd Evran as her inspiration.

Cîhan, with her beautiful smile, left behind an immense legacy for Kurdish journalism. She stood firm with unmatched dedication and commitment.

As the saying goes, “everyone has a share of their name,” and Cîhan’s name remains etched in the history of the region. She visited every city and left her mark there, interviewed countless leaders, and engaged with every military commander she met.

Some of Cîhan Bîlgîn's words:

What kept me steadfast in my work is knowing that we are not alone. An entire people stand behind us, with hopes and dreams. These people face injustice and oppression, and our core duty is to shed light on their struggles. It is an honorable and proud mission to highlight their just cause.

During my work in North and East Syria, I met many incredible people. The soil of Rojava is deeply valuable to me. In it lie people I knew closely, people whose gaze you could barely meet, and we buried them in this soil. Comrades like Dilşan, Rizgar, Saad, and many others.

It is a great honor to work alongside these great individuals. Most importantly, we made a promise to our comrades that we would never abandon their path. We vowed to Seyîd and comrade Kuli.

To my dear colleagues, we must recognize the realities on the ground, understand the policies imposed on Kurdistan, document what happens, and share it with the global public.

We must expose the crimes committed against our people and reveal to the world the hypocrisy of the colonizers occupying our land.

A-H

ANHA