Gülnaz Karataş (1971–25 October 1992),[1] nom de guerre, Berîtan,[2] was a female fighter of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). She became a Kurdish cultural figure after dying, and a symbol of women within the guerrilla movement.[2][3][4]
Gülnaz Karataş | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1971 Solhan, Bingöl, Turkey |
| Died | 25 October 1992 Iraqi Kurdistan |
| Nationality | Turkish |
| Other names | Gulnaz Karatas, Berîtan |
| Alma mater | Istanbul University |
| Organization | Kurdistan Workers' Party |
| Known for | Fighter, Kurdish cultural figure |
Early life and education edit
Gülnaz Karataş was born in 1971 in Solhan, Bingöl, Turkey.[1] Her family was Alevi Kurdish from Dersim.[1] She attended primary and secondary school in Elazığ.[1]
In 1989, she began to study at the Department of Economics at the Istanbul University.[1] It is reported that until 1990 she was unaware of her Kurdish heritage.[1]
Adult life edit
In 1990 she got to know networks of the PKK and was arrested, but released shortly after in 1991.[5] On the 9 May 1991 she entered the PKK in the Cudi Mountains, Şırnak.[5] In 1992, she was sent as a leader of a small group to Şemdinli. In the 1990s she was often featured in PKK publications, including Serxwebûn and Berxwedan magazines.[6]
On October 25, 1992, she fought against the pro-Barzani Peshmerga in Iraqi Kurdistan who have allied themselves with the Turkish army during Iraqi Kurdish Civil War. The legend says, she fought until the last bullet. The commander of the adversary peshmerga called on her to surrender, but she threw herself off a cliff in order to avoid arrest.[1][7]
Legacy edit
She became an iconic figure within the history of the PKK[3] and many songs and newborns are named after her. Abdullah Öcalan, the founder of the PKK, had often included her in his analysis.[8] Halil Uysal produced a film, Bêrîtan (2006) about her life.[9][7] In 1993, her death served as an inspiration to Zeynap Kinaci for her suicide attack against the Turkish military.[10]
Her remains were found in 2005 and transported to an area controlled by the PKK, where she was buried.[5][better source needed]
References edit
- ^ a b c d e f g Orhan, Mehmet (2016). Political Violence and Kurds in Turkey: Fragmentations, Mobilizations, Participations & Repertoires. Routledge. pp. 97, 114. ISBN 9781317420439.
- ^ a b Yılmaz, Kamil (2014-04-16). Disengaging from Terrorism - Lessons from the Turkish Penitents. Routledge. p. 130. ISBN 978-1-317-96449-0.
- ^ a b Çağlayan, Handan (2019-10-21). Women in the Kurdish Movement: Mothers, Comrades, Goddesses. Springer Nature. p. 70. ISBN 978-3-030-24744-7.
- ^ Bozarslan, Hamit; Gunes, Cengiz; Yadirgi, Veli (2021-04-22). The Cambridge History of the Kurds. Cambridge University Press. p. 863. ISBN 978-1-108-58301-5.
- ^ a b c "Beritan, a symbol of the PKK's resistance". ANF News. Retrieved 2019-02-24.
- ^ Gunes, Cengiz (2013-09-01). "Explaining the PKK's Mobilization of the Kurds in Turkey: Hegemony, Myth and Violence". Ethnopolitics. 12 (3): 247–267. doi:10.1080/17449057.2012.707422. ISSN 1744-9057. S2CID 144075596 – via Taylor & Francis.
- ^ a b Kocer, Suncem; Candan, Can (2016-12-14). Kurdish Documentary Cinema in Turkey: The Politics and Aesthetics of Identity and Resistance. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. p. 200. ISBN 978-1-4438-5716-1.
- ^ Çağlayan, Handan (2012-06-01). "From Kawa the Blacksmith to Ishtar the Goddess: Gender Constructions in Ideological-Political Discourses of the Kurdish Movement in post-1980 Turkey". European Journal of Turkish Studies. Social Sciences on Contemporary Turkey (14). doi:10.4000/ejts.4657. ISSN 1773-0546.
- ^ Ginsberg, Terri; Lippard, Chris (2010-03-11). Historical Dictionary of Middle Eastern Cinema. Scarecrow Press. pp. 241–242. ISBN 9780810873643.
- ^ Gürbüz, Mustafa; Duyvendak, Jan Willem; Jasper, James M. (2016). "Resemblance and Difference". Rival Kurdish Movements in Turkey: Transforming Ethnic Conflict. Protest and Social Movements. Amsterdam University Press. pp. 96–97. ISBN 9789089648785. JSTOR j.ctt1b9x1xb.9. Retrieved 2023-01-04 – via JSTOR.
External links edit
- Bêrîtan on IMDb