She breathed in the breath of freedom, and with that breath turned her face toward hardship. The heroic and rebellious woman Sema Cuya Çewlîk, whose real name was Zîlan Azak, was born in Bingöl.
She grew up in a patriotic family bound to the culture of Apo. While studying in the schools of the system, Sema reached the awareness that, as a Kurd, she was not allowed to grow freely; she found herself face to face with the system of assimilation and denial. Her family’s situation also had a great influence on her, and in this way Sema’s contradictions began.
Especially as a student, when she came to know and analyze the truth of life, she came to believe that true life could not be lived in this way. The Kurdish people had always been subjected to the attacks and crushing policies of the Turkish state; for this reason, they had been deprived of the freedom of their homeland and of a free life. The attacks of ISIS gangs against Rojava Kurdistan also had a deep impact on the noble woman Sema. When the city of Kobanê was liberated, Sema recognized the strength of the Kurds in those moments. Yet when she wanted to become an answer to that reality, she was met with violence and harshness. Therefore, Sema’s anger grew, and this time she saw a different path for herself.
From then on, Sema began searching for the path of freedom. No matter how difficult it was to reach that path, with great insistence she turned her face toward the free areas, and in 2015, in Bitlis, she joined the ranks of freedom. She made her decision to join with great consciousness; her love for her land and homeland led her to that decision.
When Sema joined, she received her basic training in Haftanin. The beautiful and simple nature of Haftanin was known as the paradise of the guerrilla. This natural beauty deeply affected guerrilla Sema. As a woman who formed a bond with this nature, she took part in all duties and works. From then on, Sema began to build herself as a revolutionary woman and made great efforts to understand Leader Apo well and to benefit from that source.
Sema quickly learned mountain life and its difficulties. In a very short time, she shouldered the duty of organization and prepared herself for every task in order to serve the revolution. Because of the trust Sema built around her, she was assigned to work in the Apo archive. In this duty as well, with great strength, she learned all the finer points of the work alongside her comrades and taught them to others. In order to add the color of every comrade to the historical legacy, the camera never left her hand.
After gaining experience from this work, she proposed herself for the difficult areas: the fields of war and confrontation. On this basis, and with this desire, Sema moved to the Xakurkê area. When she entered the area, she joined with great hope, relying on the confidence she drew from history and the experiences she had gained from her comrades. In particular, she took the personality of Commander Bêrîtan as her foundation and saw protecting this participation in line with her spirit and legacy as a fundamental principle.
In the Xakurkê area, Sema took the leadership of the free woman as her foundation. Amid all the hardships of life, Sema was always at the forefront. She took part in every action with great readiness. She carried out practice with comrades such as Martyr Azad and Asiya, and gained great experiences. On this basis, Sema took part in many actions and, with great enthusiasm, added these practices to the historical legacy.
Sema carried out her first practice in the mountains of Xakurkê. For this reason, this area became for her the cradle of life. There she saw her practical strength and her self-confidence grew even stronger. Every action against the enemy became a new beginning for Sema and strengthened the promise she had made when she joined. Until her final breath, Sema took determination and the protection of the martyrs of honor as her foundation, until she too became one of the followers of the path of those heroes.
The treacherous enemy attacks the Kurdistan Freedom Guerrillas every time with immoral methods. In 2024, the occupation launched a military operation in the Xakurkê area. The area was generally subjected to irregular and intense bombardment. In April 2024, while guerrilla Sema was on duty with her comrades, they faced the treachery of the Turkish state, and in an air attack she reached martyrdom together with two of her comrades.
Sema Cuya Çewlîk, with her sacrifice and humility, played a major role in organizational works and duties. As a self-confident woman, she led and advanced every practice she took part in. She protected life with great love, and even when she reached the level of martyrdom, she carried the breath of freedom within her. Because she knew that her comrades would never leave her aim unfinished. Sema’s dreams and hopes were always high; from now on as well, her struggle will remain alive on lips and in memory.