The Press Center of the People’s Defense Forces (HPG) released the balance sheet of attacks carried out by the Turkish army against the guerrilla-held Medya Defense Zones in southern Kurdistan (northern Iraq) in the month of March.

The HPG statement on Wednesday includes the following:

“Our party, the PKK, declared a ceasefire on March 1, 2025, based on Rêber Apo's [Leader Abdullah Öcalan’s] historic call. On the same day, the People's Defense Center Headquarters Command instructed our main forces in Turkey and Bakurê (Northern) Kurdistan, special tasked fedayeen teams, self-defense units and all autonomous units to comply with this ceasefire decision. All our forces complied with this instruction of our Party and our Command.

March also coincided with the holy month of Ramadan for the Islamic world. Despite the decision of our party and the ceasefire position of our forces, the colonialist, genocidal Turkish state and the fascist AKP government continued their attacks in Bakurê Kurdistan and Medya Defense Zones during this one-month period. During the month of March, the occupying Turkish army attacked our war tunnels in the Medya Defense Zones 11 times with chemical weapons, 9 times with banned weapons and 9 times with drones loaded with explosives. At the same time, the resistance areas were bombed 169 times by warplanes, 98 times by attack helicopters and 11,289 times by heavy weapons, artillery and howitzers.

The Kurdistan Freedom Guerrilla intervened 13 times against the attacks by the invaders on the basis of legitimate defense and frustrated the attacks aimed at destruction. At the same time, an Akinci-type UCAV of the Turkish state, which was engaged in aerial reconnaissance and attack activities, was shot down by our Şehîd [Martyr] Delal Air Defense Forces on March 16, 2025 at an altitude of 9,645 meters in the skies of Qandil.

When we look at the attacks carried out by the Turkish army during the one-month ceasefire period, it is very clear that a power that has carried out so many attacks does not want the war to end, but to continue. If this were not the case, it would not have carried out air and ground attacks against a force in a ceasefire position. This shows that there is a position and insistence in favor of the continuation of the war, not its cessation.”

HPG announced the balance sheet for the month of March as follows:

Turkish army attacks

Attacks by fighter jets: 169

Attacks by helicopters: 98

Attacks with chemical weapons: 11

Attacks with explosive-laden drones: 9

Attacks with banned explosives: 9

Attacks with heavy weapons, artillery and howitzers: 11,289

Intervention by the guerrillas

Interventions against attacks: 13