One hand handles the arm, the other the first aid kit

"In the mountains of Kurdistan, I never let go of my first aid bag like I always carry my arm", said Laleş Koçer who broke off his study in medicine early to join the YPG instead, and joined after that the ranks of the guerrilla.

Laleş Koçer was born in 1992 to a patriotic family in the city of Qamishlo in Western Kurdistan. He spent his childhood and youth in his city of birth and finished the study in health in Hesekê University, switched later to medicine and joined youths' activities in the university in 2011.

After the Rojava Revolution took its beginning in 2012, he broke off his study and joined the freedom struggle. He participated in battles and took simultaneously care of his wounded comrades in the front line. After the war in the mountains of Kurdistan started to intensify in 2016, he decided to join the ranks of the PKK. Guerrilla Koçer told ANF of his story.

"I COULDN'T SIT IDLY AFTER THE REVOLUTION BROKE OUT"

After witnessing the massacre perpetrated by the Syrian regime in Qamishlo in 2004, he grew to feel ire and despise towards occupying forces, and began to develop day by day the free spirit of resistance. As someone who cares for human life he wished at first to become a usual doctor, but changed his resolution to a new level after the Rojava Revolution took its beginning. Witnessing the blazing spirit of the revolution, he came to the conclusion that studying as a Kurdish youth within the state's system is meaningless, and that he needs to join the struggle.

SO HE QUITTED UNIVERSITY AND JOINED THE YPG

At the time when clashes broke out in Çilakha, he quitted university with his friends in 2013 and joined the ranks of the YPG. Fierce battles were fought, big sacrifices were made. After spending some time at the battle front, he became a member of the medical personnel and started to tend the wounds of the injured. After this operation, he didn't stop to take on new tasks and duties, because he felt that, "A revolutionary needs to join and fight for his freedom struggle only with full devotion of his heart, mind and whole strength. I kept deciding and moving according to this belief and principle."

HE JOINED THE GUERRILLA AFTER FOUR YEARS

After taking part in the Rojava Revolution for four years and seeing the battles in the mountains of Kurdistan growing fierce, Koçer's resolution started to pass another level. His belief grew in the ranks of the guerrilla who struggle in all four parts of Kurdistan for freedom, to be the place where he would finally be at his destination. After his decision he joined the ranks of the guerrilla in 2016. This decision marks for him the most important and meaningful step in his life.

HANDLING HIS ARM AND MEDICAL KIT

Guerrilla Laleş Koçer emphasized the creative and versatile character inherent to the guerrilla and noted that protection of life and fighting of battles bear them equal meanings. Koçer said: "I will continue to take care of first aid and providing medical treatment. To treat my comrades is nothing less important than any other duties which I have. Ernesto Che Guevera, for example, had to choose between fighting with arms or serving as a doctor when he first entered the scene of the freedom struggle. He didn't choose for one but decided to take part in the struggle with both, his medical expertise and his arm. I will follow the very same path here. I'll never part from my medical kit as I won't from my arm. In this respect I say, that all Kurdish youths who love the life, are obliged to fight for it."