Botan is a name bound to a thousand years of pain, and to the hope and longing for a free country.
On Botan's soil, its people fought for freedom for years against oppression and hardship, occupation and brutality. From the dawn of history to the present day, the spirit of resistance in Kurdistan has continued to blaze like the Newroz fire, never losing its radiance.
Kurdistan is the cradle of humanity, the homeland of ancient Zarathustra, Kawa, and Abraham. Kurdistan is the sacred land of the Kurdish people, where the seeds of a dignified life were sown. The people of this sacred land have always remained attached to their soil and sustained a life of dignity. They were never deceived by the enemy's schemes. The valiant children of the sacred land have always followed the path of the mountain fighters and become successors to those mountain heroes.
She Joins the Ranks of Freedom in Resistant Botan
Zeynep Özkan, originally from Şırnak, opened her eyes to the world in Cizîra Botan within a patriotic family. Because Axîn's family rejected the village-guard system, the Turkish state brutally attacked their village in the 1990s, burned it, and forcibly displaced its people. Although the Özkan family was driven far from its homeland, it preserved its culture and language. While still a child, Zeynep heard from her family about the Turkish state's brutality and occupation and formed her outlook in accordance with that reality. She grew up with stories of the guerrillas, regarded the freedom fighters as the heroes of Kurdistan, and always dreamed that one day she would become one of them.
In the 1990s, many members of Zeynep's family joined the ranks of freedom, and the names of those heroes were always spoken in their patriotic household. Zeynep was deeply influenced by their stories. For a time she worked in support of the freedom guerrillas and, during this period, came to know the reality of Leader Apo and the guerrilla closely. She was later detained by the Turkish state. No matter how much oppression the enemy inflicted upon her in prison, the heroic woman did not take a step back; she resisted with the spirit of Mazlum. After her release, she took the name Axîn Gabar and joined the ranks of freedom in resistant Botan to fulfill her childhood dream.
From Botan Toward the Sanctuary of Qendîl
Kurdistan embraces within itself all the beauty of paradise. It is where humanity first began to live and where society took shape. The Apoist militant Axîn Gabar remained in Botan for a time, then moved to the Qendîl region to specialize through military and ideological education. She welcomed her new life with enthusiasm and joy and constantly strove to advance rapidly in military matters and in Leader Apo's thought. After completing her training successfully, she joined the work with great excitement.
In the land of the sun, every day was a new rebirth for the heroic woman Axîn. With heart and soul she embraced the guerrilla's sacred life and became one with it. Axîn struggled without interruption for five years in Qendîl, gaining extensive experience and displaying tremendous sacrifice so that she could be worthy of the martyrs.
She Follows in Commander Viyan Soran's Footsteps
In 2019, the Turkish state launched operations of occupation and annihilation in Heftanîn, Xakurkê, and many parts of the Zagros. To take her place in this war, Axîn moved to the Behdînan region and entered the Hakî Karer Academy to meet the needs of the period. Through her sincerity she became an exemplary Apoist militant. Her warm comradeship gave life meaning and beauty, and she became a young commander. With five years of experience, she developed the power to resolve every problem. Axîn approached her duties and life with a revolutionary spirit. After successfully completing her education, she moved to the Heftanîn battlefront.
The march to freedom is long and arduous; the burden of Kurdistan rests upon the shoulders of those heroes. They walk toward victory with tremendous hope. Days and nights pass as they cross villages and towns, plains and mountains. The peaks of Pîrbûl, Partîzan, and the Pîsaxa Valley adorn Kurdistan with their majesty and have always awaited them.
In Heftanîn, guerrilla Axîn followed in the footsteps of the self-sacrificing commander Viyan Soran. In colorful Heftanîn she joined the work of the revolution under the leadership of commanders Hêjar Zozan and Bargîran Erkendî. Through sincerity and sacrifice she earned her comrades' trust. Within a short time she assumed responsibility in Xantûr and devoted immense effort and selflessness to her work.
In 2019, the Turkish state began a new operation in Heftanîn to continue its occupation. The martyrdom of Axîn's comrades awakened immense anger within her. She wanted to avenge them and join the resistance. As an experienced guerrilla, Commander Axîn took her place in the Heftanîn battle. Under Commander Bargîran Erkendî's leadership, the courageous guerrillas carried out extremely difficult actions against the occupiers.
The anger in the heroic woman's heart deepened day by day. The danger of an occupation of Southern Kurdistan affected her profoundly. In Heftanîn, Axîn embodied in action the anger she had carried against the enemy for years. She shouldered many duties and responsibilities and fulfilled them all successfully. She regarded labor as a legacy from her fallen comrades and upheld their heritage in Heftanîn.
With her ululations upon Heftanîn's hills, she struck fear into the occupying soldiers. The courageous commander Axîn Gabar united herself with victory through the spirit of Zîlan. She believed in the march advancing toward freedom and therefore took firm steps and left precious tracks. She always exerted tremendous effort to become a true comrade of Leader Apo.
The Slopes of Besta and Çirav Await the Heroic Woman Axîn
Axîn fulfilled her duties in Heftanîn successfully. To deepen herself in the line of the Berîtans, she entered the Martyr Berîtan Academy. During her education, her powerful participation attracted every comrade's attention, and her rich, incisive discussions made her an example to them all. She deepened herself in Leader Apo's paradigm and came to understand the essence of womanhood more fully. The experience and knowledge she gained at the academy opened a new page in her life; she was now ready for every field and practice. To help stop the annihilation targeting the Kurdish people, Axîn once again turned toward Botan.
From the mountains to Botan's rivers, the country awaited those heroes. Their tracks began on the slopes of Çirav and Besta, where they watered the seeds of freedom with their blood. They marched toward freedom and toward the sun; they fought throughout all four parts of Kurdistan. Neither storms and rain nor snow and cold could stop them. No obstacle could halt those heroes.
Axîn Gabar walked day and night, thirsty, hungry, and exhausted, until she reached Botan. When she took her first step upon its sacred soil, she remembered their village, which the Turkish state had burned. With every step her anger grew stronger. Axîn Gabar joined life in Botan with pride and dignity.
Farewell to the Land of the Ancestors
Axîn Gabar adapted quickly to the difficult and demanding practice of Northern Kurdistan. Through her fighting spirit and humility she won a place in her comrades' hearts. Every day she concentrated on how to defeat the enemy and worked relentlessly toward that aim. On 19 June 2024, the Turkish state launched a broad operation in the Mawa region. In the clashes, Axîn fought heroically against hundreds of occupying soldiers and dealt the enemy severe blows. She resisted to her last bullet. Whenever the enemy called on her to surrender, Axîn continued to hunt the occupiers like an eagle. When her ammunition ran out and she withdrew, she reached martyrdom.
The heroic woman Axîn Gabar became a comrade of Botan's mountains. Step by step, from Qendîl to Heftanîn, Behdînan, and Botan, she marched with determination and poured down upon the enemy like a fierce rain. She became the name of resistance; she became a heroine of Kurdistan.