“There is a war for humanity, rights and internationalism in Rojava. Rojava is a new beginning, a hope.”
“I made a decision and lived with these thoughts in my head for days. Now is the day to take a step as strong as the currents of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. I want to be a part of the Rojava Revolution, I want to improve myself there. I want to recognize our struggle that unites all our oppressed peoples. Above all, if necessary, I want to defend the revolution with my life. I know what I may encounter as a result of this, and I am aware of the importance of this struggle”
-Ivana Hoffman
MANY STRIKE AND ACTION ATTENDED
Born and raised in Emmerich, Germany, Ivana Hoffmann was the daughter of German mother Michaela and Togo father Kossi. She came from a large family with a total of 12 siblings. In her youth, Ivana was actively involved in her community in Emmerich, where she played for the local football team. She loved to sing, dance and make music.
She later moved to Duisburg-Meiderich and lived here until he came to Rojava. There she organized politically from a very early age and joined the Education Strike movement in 2009. In the following years, she continued her development as a revolutionary, taking part in feminist organizing, anti-fascist actions, and protests of the Blockupy Movement. She also took part in commemorating internationalist martyrs and demanding the freedom of political prisoners.
FIGHTING AGAINST ISIS FACISM
Since 1994, she joined the KGÖ (Communist Youth Organization), the youth wing of MLKP (Marxist-Leninist Communist Party of Turkey), one of the revolutionary organizations in Turkey. In the summer of 2013, she participated in a political youth camp and the KGO delegation, which participated in various demonstrations in Turkey. Ivana developed as an organizer in the KGÖ and took on a number of responsibilities and duties. In the spring of 2014, she decided to join her comrades in the MLKP in the fight against the rapidly spreading wave of ISIS fascism in Iraq and Syria. She joined the ranks of other internationalists who had come to do their bit to change the tide of the war.
IT WAS INCLUDED IN LIFE’S BEAUTY
In Kurdistan, it received the name “Avashin”, referring to the Medya Defense Zones defended by guerrilla forces. She first went to the Media Defense Areas, where she received extensive ideological, political and linguistic training with the guerrilla. Then she went to Rojava and took part in the front lines of the war.
She was determined to develop herself as a warrior and was enthusiastically involved in all aspects of military life. A comrade who trained with her in the mountains describes her: “She was always eager to get to know the various weapons, quickly disassemble, clean and maintain them. It just wasn’t enough. She managed to get involved in our training activities such as reconnaissance, intelligence, ambush, infiltration, raid, camouflage… by convincing the commanders. Comrade Avashin also acted as a key component in the organization of communal life, or rather in the organization of life. She was always with us, from daily work in the kitchen to being on duty, from making bread to storing dry wood, to carrying loads on the back over long distances. We were all struggling to get rid of the habits brought by city life and hindering the guerrilla in the countryside. Comrade Avashin was also in a relentless struggle with his own urban habits. That’s why he always struggled against these difficulties as well as the beauties of guerrilla life.”
BECOMING A MARTYR
Martyr Avaşin Tekoşîn Güneş was martyred on March 7, 2015 in the violent clashes in Til Nasır village of Til Temir, north of Hesêkê. A comrade who fought with her in this position describes the attack in which Martyr Avaşin and her comrades became martyrs: “We were used to the sounds of guns and mortars, both because of the attacks and clashes in Til Temir and because there was constant conflict around us. The enemy attacked the village next to us just before 2 am on March 7, and our village shortly thereafter. I woke up all the comrades together with Comrade Avashin, and she grabbed her BKC (machine gun) and ran towards the direction of the attack. Her BKC was always ready in front of her sleeping place. This was the last time I saw Comrade Avashin. She fell a martyr about a couple of hours after the conflict started. Later, from friends who were with Comrade Avashin on the battlefield, I learned how bravely she fought. When Comrade Avashin faced the enemy, she proved to the party and her comrades how loyal she was to the revolution. Without hesitation, she marched against the fascist gangs and became immortal. Comrade Avasin was a young party fighter who dared to cross many borders and fight on the front lines. She became immortal, leaving a great legacy.”
‘ROJAVA IS A START, HOPE’
She stated the following before she was martyred: “There is ISIS in the lands behind us. We’ve been here for a week. We have been holding our position to defend the Rojava Revolution for a week. I decided to come to Rojava because there is a fight for humanity, for rights and for internationalism. Rojava is a beginning. Rojava is hope.”
In memory of Martyr Avaşin Tekoşîn Güneş, the neighborhood in the city of Til Temir, where she was martyred, is named.