Deepest Condolences to the Family, Friends and Comrades of this Kurdish Hero!

Rızgar Derxust (Mehmet Sogut) joined the Kurdish Freedom Struggle in 1991 at a time when the Turkish army were systematically burning Kurdish villages and torturing the Kurdish people in prisons and killing them extrajudically on the streets.

Still then, many Kurds denied their own identity and could not listen to Kurdish music without fear of imprisonment or attack by racist Turkish nationalists who described Kurds, then, as ‘Mountain Turks!’

The average life of a Kurdish Freedom Fighter, at that time was no more than 2 years or less.

Thousands of young Kurdish people went to the mountains to defend their people, culture, language and honour.

It is because of people like Rizgar Derxust and their sacrifice that Kurdish people can today hold their heads high and talk of winning their rights. Rizgar was born in a village in the Lice district and rose to be an experienced commander in the Kurdish army, ARGK/HPG.

Rizgar died as a result of injuries sustained during a Turkish army mortar attack on his position in the province of Bingol on 10th May 2009.

Over 15,000 Kurdish people in Diyarbakir took Rizgar’s body and put it into the earth with love, care and gratitude to this young man whose bravery and determination to fight against the injustice of the Turkish racist denial of the Kurdish identity, will be remembered by generations to come.

Rizgar’s life should serve as a inspiration to all and inspire us to increase our solidarity work in his honorable memory.

Live, and take comfort.

Thou hast left behind

Powers that will work for thee;

air, earth, and skies;

There’s not a breathing of the common wind

That will forget thee;

thou hast great allies;

Thy friends are exultation’s, agonies,

And love, and man’s unconquerable mind.

SEHID NAMERIN!