On 25 October 1992, a Kurdish female guerrilla, Gülnaz Karataş (nom de guerre: Beritan), was encircled by a group of KDP peshmergas on a hilltop in Xakurke, Southern Kurdistan.
The peshmergas were collaborating with the Turkish army as a part of a large-scale operation against the PKK. With the support of the Turkish army, the peshmergas attacked a PKK position in Xakurke. Despite being outnumbered and outgunned, Kurdish guerrillas continued to resist.
Gülnaz Karataş was one of the few female fighters at that time. She joined the PKK in May 1991 and had limited experience of guerrilla warfare. Her group was defending a hilltop position. She ordered her team to withdraw to a safer location. She fought until her last bullet.
When the peshmergas realized that Beritan had no more ammunition left, they started to move closer. The commander of the peshmergas called on her to surrender. She did not respond.
The peshmerga commander got closer and closer, talking to her constantly to convince her to surrender. When he saw Beritan, she was standing on the edge of a rock. Instead of surrounding the peshmergas, she made a quick move and threw herself off a cliff. She chose to die with dignity rather than surrendering.
After her refusal to surrender, Beritan became a legend in Xakurke. Her story was told by the peshmergas who tried to capture her. Most of them laid down their arms and stopped fighting against the PKK after what Beritan did.
Because of her exceptional courage and her passionate character, Beritan became a historical figure for the Kurds. Songs were written, and innumerable newborns were named after her. Her life was portrayed in the movie “Beritan” by Kurdish director Halil Dag in 2006.
Her grave was discovered in 2005. Her body was transferred to a guerrilla-controlled area and reburied with a huge ceremony.
BERITAN
Gülnaz Karataş, Beritan, was born in Solhan, a district of Bingöl province, in 1971. Her family is originally from Dersim. She attended school in Elazığ and wasn’t aware of her Kurdish identity until she was 18 years old.
She was arrested for her activism in 1990 but released soon after. She joined the PKK on May 9, 1991, in the Cudi mountains, Şırnak. Because of her bravery, she was sent to the area of Şemzînan (Şemdinli) in 1992 as commander of a small force.
When the Turkish operation against Southern Kurdistan started, Beritan was in Xakurke. She fought a fierce battle against the Turkish army and collaborators. On 25 October 1992, she threw herself off a cliff instead of surrendering.
As a one-year-old guerrilla fighter, Beritan established military and ideological standards, especially for the women’s movement, and became a great symbol for the PKK’s resistance.
With her suicide, she showed every woman that an alternative choice is possible against oppression, patriarchy, betrayal and surrender.