In the Medya Defense Zones that witness a very heavy war and is under constant attack of the Turkish army during these recent times, another training cycle of freshly graduated fighters has been finished with a military ceremony.

YJA-Star (Free Women's Troops) commanders Beritan Silopi and Ronya Dersîm as well as HPG (People's Defense Forces) commanders Orhan Cihat and Agir Ciwan participated in the military ceremony marking the end of the training cycle.

"THE YOUTH STYMIE THE POLICIES OF SPECIAL WARFARE"

Congratulating the guerrillas on their accomplishment of the training cycle, HPG Commander Orhan Cihat said the following: 

Today the Training Cycle of Martyr Rewşen has come to an end. The comrades have taken the oath, received their certificates and are ready to put everything they have learned into practice in the areas of struggle. We congratulate the comrades on their graduation. As it is known, we are currently undergoing a major process and we are no more at the old times of war. As for the occupying forces, the enmity of the Erdoğan/AKP dictatorship towards the Kurdish people has reached a new peak.”

Drawing attention to the importance of participation in the freedom struggle despite intense attacks, Cihat continued: “"Erdoğan and the AKP officials are propagating even now in each and every statement they give, claiming that 'the Kurdish youth are not joining the ranks of the PKK anymore because we obviate it'. However the truth is a far cry from that. In spite of all their excessive assaults, smear campaigns and black propaganda, the Kurdish youth are flocking in masses to the mountains and joining the ranks of the Freedom Struggle from all parts of Kurdistan.

Just like the enemies of the Kurds vowing to 'destroy the Kurds and Kurdistan', the Kurdish youths will enhance their participation in the ranks of the Freedom Struggle without ever remaining remain silent on the brutal attacks taking place in four parts of Kurdistan.

HPG commander Orhan Cihat called upon the Kurdish people and the Kurdish youth to enhance their struggle against the attacks of the total war of the occupying Turkish state and to not be deceived by the special warfare policies of Erdogan and his authorities. 

The military ceremony of the newly graduated guerrillas ended with the slogans "Long live Leader Apo" and "Women, Life, Freedom".

At the end of the ceremony the new guerrillas congratulated each other on their graduation and exchanged rosettes of the PKK, HPG and YJA-Star as presents, heading afterwards with much enthusiasm and cheeriness to different zones of the struggle. The guerrillas Avşîn Serdem, Hozan Dalaho and Jiyan Rojevîn shared with ANF their reasons for participation in the struggle and their messages to all the Kurdish youth...

"THE AKP AND THE TURKISH OCCUPATION ONLY FOOL THEMSELVES"

AVŞÎN SERDEM: I have joined the guerrilla ranks from Northern Kurdistan. The reason for me was to defy the barbaric attacks of the Turkish state and the fascism of the AKP against the Kurdish people and in particular against women and the youth. I, as a woman, wanted to take a step by joining the ranks and become an adequate reply. With all their claims that 'there are no newcomers anymore, the influx has been narrowed, we have stopped them from joining', they only fool themselves. Even you can see by yourselves that only here are hundreds of newcomers present. If that was not merely an effort to fool themselves, we would not be here now and would not talk like this. And with every day passing the numbers of newly joining young people are perpetually growing. The Turkish state is only making a fool out of itself. The Turkish state feeds on its blatant lies like these.

Today these attacks and this invasion heavily target the woman. As young women ourselves we have become an adequate response to these attacks by joining the ranks today and we will also affirm our stance from today on by engaging in real battle. The systems always reserved the battle for the man only to take part in. But today we the women have learned how to fight by the PKK. Based on this we are ready to fight here on behalf of all oppressed women and to defend our people, our values, our culture and every woman. We will fight until victory and raise the struggle. All women need to respond to these attacks and invasion policies by standing up and joining us. With this I wish all women to succeed in their struggles.

"WE DECIDED TO BECOME SOLDIERS OF OUR PEOPLE AND HOMELAND"

HOZAN DALAHO: I have joined the guerrilla ranks from the city Sulaymaniyah. Extreme violence and oppression is being executed against our people on our own homeland. These invasion policies have been enforced on all four parts of Kurdistan without a break. Everywhere young Kurdish men and women are massacred and assimilation policies are pursued against us, the youth. But we did not accept these pressures and have taken to the mountains instead. We decided to become soldiers of our people and our homeland. Here you encounter a totally different way of life. the comradeship among the PKK is very strong and is not comparable with the superficial and utilitarian friendship within the system. For that reason I call on all the youths of Kurdistan, particularly the youth of Southern Kurdistan to rise up against the nationalistic assimilation policies and the internal assimilation and raise the cause of the Kurdish national unity by joining the ranks. The main policy of the occupying powers is still to make the Kurdish people fight each other. Also the internal assimilation that is taking place now aims at scattering and partitioning the Kurdish culture and the spirit of Kurdish unity. This is why the youth needs to join the guerrilla ranks for the freedom of Kurdistan's soil and the freedom of Kurdish People's Leader Apo. They shall become soldiers of their homeland and people.

"WE HEAD TO THE MOUNTAINS OF FREEDOM"

JIYAN ROJEVÎN: We as women have taken to the mountains. This process is a very important one. We, the youth, are heading to the mountains of freedom in groups while Erdoğan claims the otherwise. We the Kurdish youth will not sit by idly, and no power will be able to stop us. Every Kurdish woman has been enlightened and well-informed today. Today we all witness the brutal attacks taking place, and for that reason I call on the young women in particular to come and join the Freedom Struggle and to enhance their struggle. I invite all women to the free mountains to avenge our martyrs.