Journalists Nazım Daştan and Cihan Bilgin were killed in a Turkish airstrike on 19 December while covering the developments in northern and eastern Syria. Turkey targeted the journalists' vehicle with an UCAV. While the journalists were killed, the driver of the vehicle was injured.

 

Cihan Bilgin was born on 27 October 1995 in Mîdyad (Midyat) district of Mêrdîn (Mardin) province. In 2014, she met the Free Press and started her career as Apê Musa's "little general" on the streets of Amed (Diyarbakır). After a while, she moved to Northern and Eastern Syria and publicised the women's revolution and the resistance there. With his news, he shed light on processes he called "historical".

 

DAŞTAN PREVIOUSLY TARGETED BY DRONE

 

Nazım Daştan was born on 27 August 1992 in Dibegli village of Giyadîn (Diyadin) district of Agirî (Ağrı). While studying at university in Dîlok (Antep), Daştan started his journalism career as a reporter for the Dicle News Agency (DİHA) in 2012. In 2014, he covered the ISIS attacks on Kobanê. He recorded with his camera the ISIS fighters coming to the military point in the Tilwerdan village of Pirsûs (Suruç) and shaking hands and chatting with Turkish soldiers. Daştan has covered numerous news from Kobanê to Afrin, from Raqqa to Tabqa, from Dîlok to Şirnex (Şırnak).

 

Dashtan was wounded during an attack by ISIS militants on 5 April 2017 while covering the Tabqa operation. After receiving treatment for a while, Daştan started to follow the developments in the field again and this time he was targeted by Turkey in the Federated Kurdistan Region.

 

On 23 August 2024, Turkey bombed a vehicle belonging to Chatr Production with an UCAV in Seyidsadık district of Silêmaniyê. Journalists Gulîstan Tara and Hêro Behaddîn were killed in the attack. Right in front of the vehicle in which the two journalists were killed, the vehicle driven by Chatr Production employee Keser Buldan was travelling. Nazım Daştan was also travelling in Buldan's car. Buldan and Daştan survived the second bombardment with minor injuries due to their sudden braking after the first bombardment.

 

 

Journalist Keser Buldan, who luckily survived the attack in Silêmaniyê, talked about his colleagues Nazım Daştan and Cihan Bilgin, whom he knew closely.

 

'CI·HAN SAW JOURNALISM AS A FORM OF RESISTANCE'

 

Buldan stated that he had met Cihan Bilgin in 2017 and said, "At that time, Cihan had just arrived. After staying with us for a while, she moved to North and East Syria. There she continued her struggle as part of the Free Press. Before Cihan left, we did not have the opportunity to work together in the field. Cihan and I worked together for a short period of time. Cihan saw journalism not only as a profession but also as a resistance against oppression."

 

He added, "In this profession, we have all had more or less anxiety, but never fear. Because fear prevents us from being the defender of truth. We have always preferred to be fearless in the face of oppression and to act without hesitation, just like Nazım and Cihan. This is what the people expect from us."

 

NAZIM DAŞTAN'S LOVE FOR PROFESSION

 

Buldan stated that he first met Nazım Daştan in 2021 and they worked together for a while. Buldan stated that they did not see each other for 2 years due to their work in different places, and that they came together again in 2024, albeit for a short time. Buldan stated that Daştan works at an intense pace, generally concentrates on special news and does his work in a collective way. Buldan said, "One day we were talking about a news item. We were planning to publish the news item as a single piece, but Nazım said, 'Why don't we divide this news item into two parts and publish it? It would attract more attention'. And so we did. Nazım approached journalism from an innovative perspective, adding depth to the news with small details. One of Nazım's most striking characteristics was the warm relationship he established with people. Especially his bond with children was very strong. He would make every environment pleasant with his conversations. Even in the midst of his busy work schedule, he would not neglect to find a tea break and share it with people."

 

'WE SURVIVED THE ATTACK BY CHANCE'

 

Describing the first attack he and Daştan were subjected to, Buldan said, "We were on our way to work on a documentary with Nazım and a few friends. The vehicle with Gulistan and Hêro was behind our vehicle. When I asked Nazım friend, 'Why aren't they coming?' he said, 'They were left behind'. Then I looked in the rear-view mirror and just then a big explosion was heard. Two of our friends were martyred in that attack. At that moment, I stopped our vehicle with a sudden brake and manoeuvre and turned back. However, this time our vehicle was the second target of the drone. There was another big explosion. Luckily we survived. This moment shows how great a price the Free Press has paid. They put their lives on the line to be the voice of the people."

 

 

"We owe it to ourselves to follow in Nazım and Cihan's footsteps and continue their struggle," said Buldan and added, "We will take over their pens and cameras and continue to pursue the truth. Nazım and Cihan's greatest wish was for the Kurdish people to stand against the occupation and for these facts to be announced to the world public opinion. They were documenting the oppression and announcing it to the world. They fought for this cause without blinking their eyes. They never hesitated and worked with determination. They risked everything to announce the truth at the forefront of the resistance."

 

SILENCE OF INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

 

Buldan pointed to the silence of many circles against the attacks against Kurds and said, "There is an approach that ignores the existence and rights of Kurds. We journalists are struggling to break this silence. Dozens of our journalist friends have been martyred until today. However, international law and journalist organizations have not taken an effective stance against these attacks. The silence of the international community against these attacks on Kurdish journalists is remarkable.

 

Buldan continued as follows: "We will carry their legacy and continue to defend the truth. Nazım and Cihan's dreams were a guide for the freedom and justice of the Kurdish people. We will carry their struggle forward more strongly and shout the truth everywhere. Their spirit of struggle continues to be a source of inspiration for all those who defend the Free Press today."

 

MA / Mazlum Engindeniz