While the Turkish state claims that there are no more guerrillas in North Kurdistan, reports of new large-scale military operations in almost all northern Kurdish regions are arriving almost daily.
Guerrillas are falling as martyrs there, but the Turkish army is also suffering heavy losses. Haki Armanc, one of the commanders of the People's Defense Forces (HPG) headquarters, said in an interview with the radio station Dengê Gel that the Turkish state is hiding its losses. He also pointed out the problem of betrayal: "The guerrillas can defend themselves against the entire technical superiority of the Turkish state, and they can also carry out actions whenever they want. The Turkish state uses village guards as the vanguard in these operations. The Turkish army is conducting its operations based on information given by some traitors. Since the beginning of the armed struggle, the enemy has resorted to these methods. Otherwise, it would not be possible for the Turkish army to carry out such continuous operations in the mountains of Kurdistan despite its capabilities."
The Turkish state's attacks on the Medya Defense Areas continue. There is great resistance against these attacks. What is the current situation?
I want firstly to salute Rêber Apo [Abdullah Öcalan] and all our imprisoned comrades. Our comrades Hebûn Pîro and Botan Osyan have fallen as martyrs in the province of Amed (Diyarbakir). In their person, we honor those who fell for the freedom of Kurdistan and strengthen our struggle in their memory.
At the moment, a great war and resistance is not only taking place in the Medya Defense Areas, our movement, our people and our friends are waging a strong struggle against the fascism of the Turkish state everywhere. Rêber Apo is putting up the greatest resistance in Imrali. Our people and our friends in the four parts of Kurdistan and all over the world are putting up great resistance against the attacks on the livelihoods and achievements of the Kurdish people. The Kurdish people and their friends have organized many demonstrations and rallies in recent months, especially against the isolation of Rêber Apo, and will continue to do so. Because the physical freedom of Rêber Apo is important not only for the Kurdish people, but for all peoples of the region. For this reason, all those who have a conscience and who stand for the universal values of freedom, humanity and equality support this struggle. In this sense, we can say that great resistance is taking place in all areas.
The resistance in the Medya Defense Areas is also a part of the overall struggle. It is true that the invaders' attacks on Southern Kurdistan are increasing day by day. The enemy wants to maintain the occupation of South Kurdistan. The Kurdish freedom guerrillas are putting up massive resistance against this. Since the spring months, the enemy wanted to expand its territory in Metîna, the western Zap region and Xakurke, but encountered considerable resistance. In recent times, massive resistance has been taking place from Heftanîn to Xakurke, and the actions continue uninterrupted. The growing resistance in Zap, Xakurke, Metîna and Heftanîn is dealing heavy blows to the Turkish occupying state. But the war is getting tougher day by day. The Turkish state keeps spreading false information through its special war media about the blows it is receiving from the guerrillas. State officials make a statement every few days. They claim that they carried out so many attacks and killed so many guerrillas. Most of the airstrikes that are then shown took place in places where there are no guerrillas and in places that were previously evacuated. The Turkish state attacks every area.
The enemy is using false propaganda to hide the effects of the resistance in the Medya Defense Areas and to cover up its own losses suffered at the hands of the guerrillas. This special warfare method has been practiced by the Turkish state for years. However, this approach has been intensified at many levels compared to the past. But our resistance is growing and getting bigger. We are carrying out actions with more effective and richer tactics. The Kurdistan Freedom Guerrilla is now specialized. The Şehîd Doğan Zinar and Şehîd Axîn Mûş units have dealt heavy blows to the enemy both from the air and on the ground with their highly mobile units. The situation of the enemy army is visible. It is in a state of panic and is trying to instill morale in its soldiers with drones and air strikes. This is also the reason for the statements made in the special warfare media in recent days. The Turkish state has made an agreement with the Iraqi state, and it is also benefiting from the KDP's betrayal. They want to prepare a joint attack. The guerrillas have taken precautions against all of this. They have years of experience. They are constantly preparing to inflict ever heavier blows on the enemy and thus achieve results.
Recently, there have been casualties in the Medya Defense Areas and in Northern Kurdistan. The most recent casualties were commanders Alan Milazgîr, Berwar Dêrsîm and Serhed Jêhat. Can you tell us something about the lives and attitudes of these commanders?
We are currently putting up great resistance against the occupiers and making great sacrifices. Most recently, Heval Hebûn and Botan were killed in Amed. They fought for the freedom of our people for years. Heval Hebûn was a young commander who did successful work in many areas. He wanted to carry out successful actions against the Turkish state in North Kurdistan. With this conviction and determination, he went there. Heval Botan, who fell with him, was also from Botan. He stayed in Amed province for years, educated himself, developed on the basis of Rêber Apo's philosophy and followed in the footsteps of the Kurdistan freedom fighters. Both comrades put up great resistance. At the same time, they dealt heavy blows to the enemy. They hit both the Turkish army and the traitors who were involved in the operation. They resisted until their last breath and fell with dignity.
Heval Alan Milazgîr was killed in the Medya Defense Areas. He had been with the guerrillas for a long time and had already fought in many areas. I met Heval Alan in 1997/98. He participated in the works in Botan. He fought for a long time in Gabar and Mawa and accomplished great things there. He took part in many actions and participated in effective attacks on the enemy. When he was very young, he was also involved in various activities. Wherever there was an action, he was there, he was a real pioneer. He also fought in the Dersim area for many years. He did great work there too. He was also active there as a commander. In addition, he completed intensive training in the Medya Defense Areas and was a commander in Zap province. In addition, he was responsible for logistics and administration of the Medya Defense Areas and was a member of the HPG Command Council. He played a pioneering role in all the areas in which he was deployed. Heval Alan was a commander in the war zone at a young age. He left his mark in every area. After all, he led the resistance for years in the Şehîd Doğan war tunnels in Sîda in the Zap region. He fought against the enemy until his last breath.
Heval Berwar Dêrsîm led her comrades for years
Heval Berwar Dêrsîm fell a martyr in the Glîdax area in the Serhed region of North Kurdistan. She fought for years in many regions, especially in Dersim. She was a member of the Hêzên Taybet (Special Units) and was always ready to sacrifice herself. She was a commander who could lead hundreds of fighters. As such, she was recognized by both women and men. She mobilized and coordinated her fellow fighters and drove the fight forward even under the most difficult conditions. This was evident in her years of work. In recent years, she had assumed the responsibility of a commander of the YJA Star [Free Women’s Units] for the Serhed region. Heval Berwar recorded her memories in many reports. She was one of the commanders who was most concerned with the enemy's situation, its tactics, its technology, its means and methods, and who focused most intensely on how to fight the enemy most effectively. She was very conscious in organizational and ideological terms as well as in military terms. We will never forget Heval Berwar. She constantly strived to develop herself in order to successfully implement the form of guerrilla warfare of democratic modernity and the tactics of the new era based on specialized unit warfare.
I have known Serhed Jêhat for many years. He spent most of his time in Botan, and was deployed there for years, both as a fighter and as a provincial commander. He also stayed in Xakurke as a commander for a long time. But above all, he made great efforts in Botan. He took part in many actions. He came from a patriotic family and his culture, his loyalty to Rêber Apo and his commitment to the line of freedom were very clear and profound. He had written several reports to the commandant's office to be allowed to carry out a self-sacrifice action from Botan. He wanted to carry out actions against the enemy on the Zîlan line under the most difficult conditions.
He had great anger and hatred for the enemy and had gone to Botan to deal heavy blows to the enemy. Heval Alan, Heval Berwar and Heval Serhed were from Serhed. They came from a culture of resistance and led their comrades for years, constantly educating themselves in the philosophy of the PKK and Rêber Apo.
Şêxmûs Milazgir fell in Serhed, Heval Bêrîtan Nûrhak fell in the Kerboran region, and our precious Hevals Herekol Gever and Axîn Gabar also fell as martyrs. All of these comrades have left us a rich treasure of memories with their resistance and attitude. We will follow in their footsteps and their goal, the freedom of Kurdistan and the Kurdish people, will always be our goal. Once again, I respectfully commemorate all the martyrs of the revolution through these friends of ours, and I repeat that we will keep our promise to them.
As is known, the Turkish state's attacks in North Kurdistan continue uninterrupted. What is the situation there?
Operations are taking place continuously in all provinces of North Kurdistan. For more than two months, operations have continued non-stop in Amed, but especially in the Botan region, in Besta, Kato and Herekol. From time to time, it is also announced in the special war media that some areas are closed and operations are being carried out. There are operations in all provinces from Dersim to Amed, Mêrdîn, Garzan and Serhed. The enemy is trying to prevent the guerrillas from moving through these operations. This is because the enemy is very afraid of the guerrillas in North Kurdistan. That is why they carry out operations non-stop. We had friends who died in the fighting, and although the enemy tried to cover it up, we know that he suffered very heavy blows there. The guerrillas' actions are hushed up, but the state itself knows how great its losses are. These losses are then covered up in various ways, for example by declaring them to be accidents, or by pretending that there were no guerrillas' actions at all.
The public and the population are supposed to believe that there are no guerrillas in North Kurdistan. But the state keeps exposing itself. If there were no more guerrillas, what would be the point of the constant operations in all provinces? The guerrillas resist these operations. They are capable of defending themselves against the entire technical power of the Turkish state, and they carry out actions when they see fit. The Turkish state uses village guards as the vanguard in its operations. The operations are carried out on the basis of information obtained from some traitors. This has been the case in the past as well. Since the beginning of the armed struggle, the enemy has resorted to these methods. Otherwise, it is not possible for the Turkish army, despite all its means, to carry out such continuous operations in the mountains of Kurdistan. Unfortunately, traitors and collaborators also play a role in these operations. In the recent operations in Amed, the state even had to admit in its media that some village guards were wounded.
When Heval Hebûn and Botan went into battle, the enemy also suffered heavy losses. The enemy uses collaborators and traitors. Traitors who betray their country, their people and the Kurdish freedom guerrillas in this way will receive their punishment. The enemy relies on both technology and informants in these operations. The operations will continue in the autumn months. The aim is to prevent the guerrillas from preparing well. But even though we have casualties in the battles, if we look at the war as a whole, the Turkish army has not achieved its goal with these operations. The guerrillas in North Kurdistan will not only defend themselves but also develop actions against the enemy. We are convinced that the guerrillas in North Kurdistan will fulfill their tasks on this basis.