In the last part of this in-depth interview with ANF, Cemil Bayik, co-chair of the KCK Executive Council, spoke about the resistance carried out by guerrillas and added: "We are determined to turn 2025 into the year of freedom."

The first part of this interview can be read here, the second here, the third here, the fourth here, the fifth here, the sixth here, and the seventh here.

On Newroz 2024, the good news was that the guerrillas had succeeded in setting up an air defense system. What impact did this technology and this system have on the course of the war? How did the Kurdish freedom guerrilla manage to stall the Turkish state’s concept of advancing through both ground and air operations? What is the role of sacrificial actions, especially like the one against the Ankara-based TAI, in the resistance?

The guerrilla has always used some form of technique. The guerrilla’s use of technique itself is not new. However, the guerrilla’s main strength does not stem from it, but from its high sacrificial spirit and tactical capability. This is where the guerrilla gets its great strength. As Rêber Apo [Ab Ocalan] once put it, “the greatest technique is the human being”. According to this perspective, the guerrilla is based on creating development by deepening in spirit, style, and tactics. But, of course, the guerrilla also cares about technique, and its technical capability is quite advanced. The guerrilla is aware that its use in war is increasing and develops its own technique. An ordinary technical possibility in the hands of the enemy can be transformed into great effect by the guerrilla. This is because the guerrilla fights with a high sacrificial spirit and tactical capability. This is why even the simplest technique is so effective in the hands of the guerrilla. Otherwise, the enemy has much more advanced technical tools and means, he fights only based on technique, but not the guerrilla, the guerrilla fights with high sacrificial spirit, style, and tactics. And this has become more effective by improving its technical capability.

The action against the TAI was an action without any mistake. It marked a peak in every aspect. It was the clear expression of the advanced stage in spirit, style, tactics, and striking power of the guerrilla and has raised the standards of the sacrificial, militant, and tactical fight. It is essential for us to live and fight according to the sacrifice and militancy shown by these comrades. The action against the TAI showed what kind of power the guerrilla has and that it can carry out the biggest actions wherever and whenever it wants. The guerrilla is not only in the mountains but also in the city and wherever there is society. Wherever it is, it can carry out actions with high striking power at any time and strike the enemy.

The HPG monthly publishes its balance sheets, showing the result of the war. What is the level of the ongoing struggle of the HPG and YJA-Star guerrillas in areas such as Zap, Metina, Avashin and Xakurke? How are those who say that they have “closed the lock” on the guerrilla doing in these areas?

In Zap, Metina, Avashin, and Xakurke, the guerrilla is putting up one of the greatest resistances in history. I respectfully commemorate all the comrades who were martyred in this resistance and salute all YJA-Star and HPG fighters and commanders who are currently resisting in the war tunnels and positions. The guerrilla has developed a new war tactic based on the harmony of terrain and war tunnels and has shown that it is successful. The enemy is helpless in the face of this unexpected war tactic. Despite all the high technique, air dominance, heavy bombardment, and the use of banned weapons, he could not break the guerrilla’s resistance and advance as he had planned.

The enemy expression “we have closed the lock” is a purely psychological one. In reality, the occupying Turkish army has never been able to seize the initiative on the battlefields in question. The initiative of the war is in the hands of the guerrilla. Without the support of the KDP, the Turkish army could not stay here even for 24 hours. Only with the support of the KDP can it hold on to its positions. This is not the first time there has been a war in these areas. The Turkish army has been here before with the support of the KDP. Now it has come here again with the support of the KDP. There is no change in the situation. But the Turkish state is trying to hide its failure by saying that they have closed the lock. The lock of the mountains is in the hands of the guerrilla. It is the occupying Turkish army that is locked in Zap, Metina, Avashin, and Xakurke. They cannot move, while the guerrilla, on the other hand, is deployed and in action everywhere.

Based on the fact that the guerrilla has emerged on the stage of history as a pioneering self-defense force, what is the role of the MAK and similar self-defense forces in the resistance? What is the role of the youth of Kurdistan in the self-defense resistance? Based on the fact that the HPG and YJA-Star forces consist mostly of young people and are, in fact, youth organizations, what would you like to say to the youth of Kurdistan?

Self-defense is the basis of our strategy. Our paradigm is based on self-administration and self-defense. Our response to every attack against our existence is self-defense, and the guerrilla is the most organized form of self-defense. Self-defense may not always be on a military level. Sometimes a spoken word functions as self-defense; sometimes the most effective self-defense is a rally of the people. The important aspect is to eliminate the developing attack. In this framework, Rêber Apo is giving the example of the rose and the thorn. The rose tries to protect itself with its thorn. In terms of the life and security of the society, self-defense is an organizational aspect. Without organization, there can be no self-defense. It is wrong to define self-defense only as consciousness and not to organize. Self-defense consciousness is, of course, important, but it cannot be limited to acquiring consciousness. Only if it is organized will it have meaning and function.

We are going through a period in which the Third World War is intensifying, and the place where the war is intensifying the most is Kurdistan. Therefore, we are faced with the issue of self-defense more than ever. As it is known, the genocidal colonialist enemy continues to increase its attacks and plans new attacks. What they have done and are trying to do in Rojava is obvious. It is also developing all kinds of dirty special warfare practices, organizing agents, contras, and mafia networks, and releasing them into society. All these attacks cannot be prevented only by guerrilla warfare. A widespread self-defense organization is needed in all areas of life. In this respect, the most fundamental work in the current period we are in is self-defense work.

And undoubtedly, the defense of society is primarily the duty of the youth. Just as the youth of Kurdistan played a historical role in the past by developing the guerrilla, today they must fulfill their historical responsibility by developing self-defense in society as well as in the guerrilla. The youth must both strengthen the guerrilla by joining it and organize self-defense in society. They must organize a widespread net of self-defense in all areas of life and give the necessary response to every enemy attack everywhere.

The developments in the last months of the year indicate that 2025 will be a year of even higher intensity. What are your predictions and messages for 2025?

We completed a difficult and important year of struggle. Both the historical resistance of the guerrilla, the struggle developed by our people, and the developments achieved within the scope of the global freedom campaign made 2024 a year in which important results were achieved. The biggest success was that we received news from Rêber Apo after four years without it. Near the end of 2024, we heard from Rêber Apo that he was well and greeted everyone. This caused us great joy and gave us strength and morale. We enter 2025 with this joy and morale.

As a movement and people, we are stronger and more organized than ever. We are closer to success than ever before. There are dangers we face, but we can overcome every difficulty with our organized struggle. We are fighting for a just cause. We are fighting for our language, identity, culture, and freedom. We are a people with tens of thousands of martyrs for this cause. Nothing can deter us from our just struggle, nothing can stop us from succeeding. We are determined to turn 2025 into the year of freedom by raising our struggle even higher. Our success in 2025 will give strength to all oppressed people who resist oppression. On this basis, I wish a happy and successful new year to our people, international friends, and humanity.