The Press Center of the People’s Defense Forces (HPG) has published the names of three fallen guerrillas. Newal Mêrdîn, Jiyan Rêdûr and Dijwar Keleş fell as martys in an attack by the Turkish army in Serê Metîna on 30 June. The HPG had already reported on the deadly attack, and on Thursd announced the identities of the martyrs. The HPG expressed its condolences to the relatives and the people of Kurdistan and provided the following information about the lives of the fallen guerrillas:
Code name: Newal Mêrdîn
First and last name: Nûdem Kurt
Place of birth: Izmir
Names of mother and father: Feyruze – Şakir
Date and place of death: 30 June 2024 / Metîna
Code name: Dijwar Keleş
First and last name: Serdar Düşerge
Place of birth: Amed
Names of mother and father: Bahriye – Fahri
Date and place of death: 30 June 2024 / Metîna
Code name: Jiyan Rêdûr
First and last name: Darşîn Musa
Place of birth: Damascus
Names of mother and father: Fatma – Mihemed Elî
Date and place of death: 30 June 2024 / Metina
Newal Mêrdîn
Newal Mêrdîn was born in Izmir. Her family had to leave their homeland of Mardin (Mêrdîn) due to state oppression in the 1990s and move to western Turkey.
Nevertheless, Newal grew up aware of her Kurdish identity. She followed the Kurdish liberation struggle with great interest, and close relatives of hers fought in the guerrillas. As a young woman, she took part in activities of the revolutionary youth movement.
After a close relative was killed by the Turkish state in Amed in 2014, she swore revenge and went to the mountains in North Kurdistan. At first, she found it difficult to settle in because she had never lived in Kurdistan. However, she was able to quickly overcome her initial difficulties because she had a strong will and was supported by her fellow fighters.
She went to the Medya Defense Areas for an academic education. She developed further in military and ideological terms. In particular, the lessons on women’s history revealed her own reality to her and led to a lasting change. Due to her disciplined and careful way of working, she was given very important tasks for the guerrilla after completing her training.
As a fighter of the YJA Star, she saw herself as responsible for the safety of her people and all women. After further training, in which she was able to question and work through her previous practice, she went to Metîna, where she fought for her ideals with sacrifice and courage until the end.
Dijwar Keleş
Dijwar Keleş was born in Amed and grew up in an environment close to the PKK. As a child, he experienced oppression by the Turkish state and went to school for a while, which he felt was an alien system. He then worked in construction and took on various jobs to help support his family. During this time, he became aware of the value of work and social inequality. As a Kurd, he was discriminated against everywhere and treated like a second-class citizen.
He followed the Kurdish freedom struggle and was happy about successful guerrilla actions. In 2013 he became active in the youth movement. When the Turkish state unilaterally ended the process for a political solution to the Kurdish question in 2015 and launched an annihilation attack, Dijwar decided to join the armed resistance. His decision was strengthened by the death of his cousin Şehmus Düşerge in the resistance for self-government in Bismil.
He went to the mountains and joined the guerrillas. For him, the guerrillas were a force for the defense of his people and at the same time a way of life for free people.
Through his training he gained military and ideological competence and then went to fight against ISIS. He was seriously wounded three times. He fought alongside the population in various areas and distinguished himself through his courage and his close bond with his fellow fighters.
He then went to the Medya Defense Areas and continued his education at a military academy. He participated in the resistance against the Turkish occupation attacks in the western Zap region and finally in Metîna, where he courageously confronted the enemy and was killed after a successful action together with Newal and Jiyan.
Jiyan Rêdûr
Jiyan Rêdûr was born in Damascus. Her parents came from Kobanê and belonged to the Kurdish Berazî tribe. As a child, Jiyan heard about the PKK’s fight for the freedom of her people and admired the guerrillas.
In her youth, she questioned her life and looked for alternatives to the classic role of women in society, which she felt was enslavement. At the time when the seeds for the revolution in Rojava were being sown, she noticed the leading role of women and studied Abdullah Öcalan’s analyses of women’s liberation. These ideas seemed to her like a way out of a dark labyrinth in which she felt trapped.
After her close relative Dicle Kobanê was killed in 2014 and her brother Rêdûr (Delîl Musa) in 2015 in the liberation struggle, she made a decision and went to the mountains in 2016 to join the guerrilla.
The mountains of Kurdistan were a place of self-discovery for her. After basic training, she was in many different regions in the Medya Defense Areas and matured into a competent fighter. She completed specialized military training and took an ideological course to prepare herself for combat duty in order to equip herself in every way.
She then fought in Metîna, where she was killed in an enemy attack on 30 June.