NEWS CENTRE - YRA and Jin-YRJ made a statement on the massacre of Cihan Bilgin and Nazım Daştan, who were killed in a drone attack, and called on all journalist institutions, organisations and human rights institutions to ‘raise your voice against this atrocity’.

 

The Free Press Association (YRA) and Women's Press Association (Jin-YRJ) made a joint statement on the massacre of Free Press workers Nazım Daştan and Cihan Bilgin in Qamişlo as a result of a drone attack. Many journalists attended the statement in front of Mihemed Şêxo Cultural Centre in Qamişlo. The journalists carried a banner reading ‘Şehîdê çapemeniyê azad namirin (Martyrs of Free Press are immortal)’ with the photographs of slain journalists Cihan Bilgin and Nazım Daştan.

 

The statement was read in Kurdish by Ronahî TV presenter Alan Meîş and in Arabic by Arîn Denîz.

 

In the statement, it was noted that Turkey and its gangs have increased their attacks on Northern and Eastern Syria since 8 December, and at a time when the world is discussing the establishment of a system in Syria in which all components will be represented, Özgür Basın is trying to convey this reality to the public.  

 

‘Free press has paid a heavy price’

 

In order to fulfil this moral and historical duty, journalists have been working without ambivalence on all fronts where there are attacks and have announced Turkey's attacks to the people and the world public opinion, the statement said: "The Turkish state is targeting all the values of our people with these attacks, at the same time it has prioritised attacks on the press that reveals the facts of these attacks. According to all international conventions, journalists have the right to follow wars and conflicts and should not be targeted. However, the Turkish state is waging a brutal war against the Free Press. As an effective front of the struggle, the Free Press has paid a heavy price in its journey for truth and in revealing the facts. Finally, two of our journalist comrades were martyred in a brutal attack by the occupying Turkish state. Our journalist friend Nazım Daştan and Hawar News Agency (ANHA) reporter Cihan Bilgin were martyred in this dishonourable attack."

 

’She was at the forefront of the free press’

 

It was reminded in the statement that the journalists followed the attacks and resistance against the Tişrîn Dam and Qereqozax Bridge from the first day and said, "On 19 December 2024, at 15:20, their vehicle was bombed by an Armed Unmanned Aerial Vehicle of the Turkish state while they were performing their journalistic duties on the road between the Tişrîn Dam and the town of Sirîn. As a result of the attack, both of our colleagues were martyred and the driver of the vehicle, Ezîz Hec Bozan, was injured. Our friend Cihan Bilgin had been working as a journalist in Rojava Kurdistan since 2017. Heval Cihan Bilgin grew up in a patriotic family that paid the price. She was at the forefront of the Free Press as a courageous journalist to publicise the Rojava resistance and revolution. With his pen and camera, She has always been the language of the peoples' and women's revolution."

 

He announced the Rojava Revolution with great passion

 

The statement continued as follows: ‘Cihan Bilgin worked as a journalist at ANHA for 8 years. She spent 8 years full of struggle as a journalist during the establishment of the Rojava Revolution. During the periods when the Turkish state's attacks on Rojava intensified, she was always on the front line to announce the facts in the best way. Again, during the establishment of the democratic autonomy system in the region, as a freedom-seeking woman, she reflected to the public that the Rojava Revolution was a women's revolution with her news, files and interviews. As a follower of Gurbetelli Ersöz, Gulistan Tara, Seyit Evran, Dilîşan Îbîş and hundreds of press martyrs in the permanent journey of the Free Press, she announced the Rojava Revolution to the Kurdistan and world public with great passion. Cihan Bilgin was an exemplary personality with her smile and comradeship as well as her competence in journalism.

 

Nazım Daştan was everywhere where there was struggle

 

Struggler and journalist Nazım Daştan was born in Giyadîn (Diyadin) in Agirî, Bakurê Kurdistan. He grew up in a patriotic family environment. With this national consciousness, he became a freedom seeker and fighter on the press front at a young age. In 2014, when ISIS attacks on Rojava took place, he crossed to Rojava. First in Afrin and then in Kobanê, he followed the historic resistance and announced it to the world. During the Autonomous Administration Resistance in Bakurê Kurdistan, he moved to Silopiya district of Şirnex and worked as a journalist there. However, the Turkish state started an investigation against him for his journalistic work.

 

Despite the pressure, Nazım did not give up journalism and in 2016 he moved to Rojava Kurdistan again. He fulfilled his journalism duty dually for many years in Efrîn, Kobanê, Reqa, Girê Spî, Shengal and Bashûrê Kurdistan. Lastly, he was following the Tişrîn Dam resistance against the occupation attacks. Nazım was at the forefront of the Free Press with his humble, labourer and intellectual personality. Nazım Daştan was everywhere where there was a tough struggle with his camera and pen. As a follower of Halil Dağ, he became the language of truth with his pen and camera. As a brave journalist, he worked for many institutions and organisations of the Free Press during his long and difficult press journey. 

 

Call to raise voice

 

We strongly condemn this barbaric attack against our two journalist friends. As followers of the truth, we will follow their path with great determination and we will not leave their pens and cameras on the ground. We call on all journalists to be on the side of truth and follow the Free Press for which Nazım Daştan and Cihan Bilgin were martyred today. At the same time, we call on all journalist institutions and organisations and international human rights institutions to raise your voices against this atrocity."