HPG pays tribute to guerrilla Xebat Turkmen

Guerrilla Xebat Turkmen died in a battle against Turkish occupying forces in South Kurdistan in March. The HPG paid tribute to the Raqqa-born guerrilla as a major militant of the Apoist movement.

Guerrilla Xebat Turkmen died in a battle with the Turkish army in the Zap region in South Kurdistan in March. The Press Center of the People's Defense Forces (HPG) published information about his identity and recognized the Raqqa-born internationalist as a major militant of the Apoist movement. The HPG expressed its condolences to his family and all people fighting for freedom.

 Codename: Xebat Turkmen

 First and last name: Mihemed Hinawî

 Place of birth: Raqqa

 Names of mother and father: Wexle – Hinawî

 Date and place of death: 23 March 2024 / Zap

Xebat Turkmen was born in Raqqa, Northern Syria, to a Turkmen mother and an Arab father. When the terrorist militia “Islamic State” occupied Raqqa and made it the capital of its caliphate, Xebat was still very young. It quickly became clear to him that the Islamists had nothing to do with real religion. The massacres committed by ISIS filled him with impotent rage, and he vowed to demand accountability one day. His family fled to a Turkmen village near Girê Spî in 2016. There, Xebat lived under free conditions and got to know the freedom fighters in Rojava. Impressed by their fearless fight against ISIS, he joined an armed unit that same year. He stayed in the area around Girê Spî for a while and, after an educational course at the "Şehîd Ezîz Ereb" Academy, went to the mountains to join the Kurdish guerrillas.

Xebat quickly got used to guerrilla life and was fascinated by the mountains. "When you live on the top of the mountains, you don’t want anything else," he once said. During his training he dealt with the PKK ideology and his own personality. The HPG described Xebat as a selfless, humble and hard-working person. He could contribute to the successful completion of various tasks. At the same time, he set himself the goal of grasping all aspects of the “guerrilla of democratic modernity” and of being constantly ready for a war effort. Among other things, he was involved in the construction of tunnels. As of 2022, he took part in the resistance against the Turkish invasion in the western Zap region. He fought in the Girê Amêdî area and showed great willingness to sacrifice in all actions.

For Xebat, every bullet fired at the enemy was an act of revenge for the massacre of the peoples and his fallen comrades, the HPG wrote in its obituary. Therefore, he went into battle unreservedly and courageously. "Our comrade Xebat fought sacrificially for his freedom values until his last breath and joined the caravan of the fallen in a battle on 23 March. As his comrades, we give our word to resolutely continue his fight for a democratic Middle East and a free and equal coexistence between peoples," said the HPG.