Portrait of the day: Journalist Dilan Ölmez

Journalist Dilan Ölmez is remembered by her friends on the second year of her death with the legacy of “truth” she left behind.

BERÇEM CÛDÎ

Ayn Issa- Two years have passed since Turkey launched a military operation into NE Syria on October 9, 2019. Four journalists were killed and 13 journalists were wounded in the Turkish attacks. Journalist Dilan Ölmez was killed while covering the Turkish operation into Girê Spî on October 13, 2019.

Dilan Ölmez was born in 1994, in the Yüksekova district of Hakkari province. She grew up in a Kurdish family preserving their culture and traditions and she went to Kobanî in 2014 when ISIS attacked the city to stand by her people. After the liberation of Kobanî from ISIS in 2015, she began her journalistic career by keeping an archive of news. In 2018, she began to work as a war reporter. When Turkey launched its military operation into NE Syria on October 9, 2019, she went to Girê Spî to cover the operation. She was killed in the Turkish bombardment in Girê Spî on October 13, 2019.

“We still use the footages she shot”

Nupelda Herekol, one of Dilan Ölmez’s colleagues, spoke to NuJINHA about her. Nupelda Herekol met Dilan Ölmez in 2016. “She stayed in Kobanî, mostly in Miştenûr. I met Dilan Ölmez (also known as Dilovan Gever) during the operation launched to liberate Manbij, she was keeping an archive of the news. We still use the footage and photos she shot. She tried to report the truth to the last breath.”

Dilan Ölmez always told Nupelda Herekol, “You should work in the press.” After the death of Dilan Ölmez, Nupelda Herekol began to work in the press. “But I didn’t have an opportunity to work with her.”

In October, 2019, journalist Dilan Ölmez, Hawar News Agency’s reporter Sead Ehmed, Çira TV reporter Mihemed Reşo and another journalist were killed and 13 journalists were wounded while covering the Turkish operation into NE Syria.