Filiz Zeyrek/JINHA

ADANA – Eylem Ataş was sent off on an eternal journey with purple flags in city of birth after 101 days. “We see how Eylem’s struggle reaches its goal on the faces of women, who are smiling and tearing off their burqas in the photographs taken in Manbij,” said the women, who attended the funeral, and they vowed to raise the purple flag.

Women's Freedom Force (KÖG) and United Liberation Forces (BÖG) fighter Eylem Ataş (nom de guerre Cemre Heval) was martyred on June 27 while fighting against ISIS by joining Manbij Operation Martyr and Commander Faysal Abu Leyla. Her body was handed over her family after 101 days and she was sent off on an eternal journey in city of birth with purple flags on women’s shoulders yesterday. Her friends swore allegiance to Eylem’s struggle and said, “She is our symbol, we will join the resistance with action (Eylem means in English ‘action’).”

Zeynep talked about the loyalty of Eylem to her female comrades and how they continued to bring her to her land of birth. Zeynep said, “We were in areas and squares to bring her. We bid farewell to her in her city birth but her struggle will always be with us.”

Elizabet reminded that they had waited for 101 days in order to bury Eylem and continued; “We faced the same thing while trying to bring Aziz and Bedreddin. We are facing with those who don’t respect our right to bury our comrades. These are the policies of oppression and intimidation. We will follow their parts.”

Olcay said, “Eylem’s main reason for going to Rojava was to fight for the freedom of women against barbaric and rapist gangs and their collaborators. We see how Eylem’s struggle reaches its goal on the faces of women, who are smiling and tearing off their burqas in the photographs taken in Manbij. Eylem fought for that and she reached her goal.”

Eylem’s another friend Cemre said, “She raised the flag of women’s freedom struggle. Our duty is to raise this flag higher. The state didn’t give Eylem to us, we took her with our resistance.”

(fz/fk/gd)