Women's Media Union vows to continue Gulestan and Hiro's journey and preserve their legacy

A crowd of female journalists from all over the NE Syria gathered at the Mohamed Sheikho Center, to make a statement to the media and public opinion, regarding the Turkish occupation state's attack on the free press crew in S. Kurdistan, and led to the martyrdom of journalists Gulestan Tara and Hiro Bahaa al-Din.

The statement was read by a member of the Women's Media Union, Habun Omar. During the reading of the statement, pictures of the martyrs Gulestan Tara and Hiro Bahaa al-Din raised.

The statement read:

"We at the Women's Media Union strongly condemn the attack launched by the Turkish occupation state on 2 media vehicles in the city of Sulaymaniyah yesterday, and we extend our condolences to the families of the martyrs Gulestan Tara and Hiro Bahaa al-Din and all workers in the field of free media, and we wish a speedy recovery to our wounded colleagues.

We consider this brutal attack, which directly targets female journalists, a crime against humanity and an insult to free thought, and we strongly condemn it, as the free media has always been targeted by the Turkish occupation state, because its workers have great courage and expose the mentality of the occupier and his allies, their violations and practices.

The Turkish occupation state is one of the most guilty countries about violating human rights and practices against journalists, and the Turkish state has always sought in its history to hide its true face and immoral practices by killing and arresting journalists, the enemy of women and journalists, the Turkish state run by the Special War Center targets workers in the field of free media to hide and mislead facts, and this brutal attack on the pioneer in the field of free media, Gulestan Tara and our colleague Hiro Bahaa al-Din came with the same goal, committed by the same center.

This attack against our colleagues occurred in conjunction with the formation of a dangerous and dirty alliance between Iraq and Turkey and the complicity of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, and there is no doubt that this attack on our colleagues is only part of this dangerous and dirty alliance, we in the Women's Media Union consider these forces directly responsible for this brutal attack, and we strongly condemn this aggression, and we call on Kurdish and international public opinion not to remain silent, and to take a position on these attacks, so that the Turkish occupation state is prosecuted for its crimes against journalists.

Our comrades  Gulestan Tara has a long struggle within the free media, as a student of Mazlum Doghan and Gharbat Ali Arsuz, with her pen and lens, she has made great efforts in various media bodies over 24 years of struggle within the free media, and has taken a pioneering position to promote the legacy of free women's media.

As a journalist from S. Kurdistan, Hiro Bahaa al-Din, with her courageous stance, became a beacon of truth against the Turkish occupation state and the approach of betrayal, and with this firm stance she became an example for all women journalists.

In the person of the pioneer in free women's media, Gulestan Tara and our colleague Hiro Bahaa al-Din we recall all the martyrs of the free media and bow in honor of their memory, and we affirm in the Women's Media Union to fight with greater courage and determination to preserve and strengthen the legacy of the martyrs and pledge to follow in the footsteps of our comrades.

And let the Turkish state and its agent, the KDP, the killers of journalists and women, know very well that they will not be able to break the will of the free women's media with these brutal attacks, and as long as there is Kurdistanism and freedom in Kurdistan, the banner of the struggle for freedom in Kurdistan will flutter as long as there is one journalist left in the free women's media, as journalists affiliated with the approach of free women's media, we will walk with great courage, following in the footsteps of the Gharbat Ali Arsuz, Gulestan Tara, Hiro Bahaa al-Din, Rusida Mardin and all the martyrs of the free media, and we will fight with our lens and pen with greater determination and faith, to preserve and consolidate this legacy throughout Kurdistan."

Sh-S

ANHA