Press Release

From 2015, when the fascist AKP/MHP regime realised that it was politically defeated and could no longer hold on to power, it opted for a policy of war. On this basis, especially the Kurdish people, the Kurdistan Freedom Movement and all population groups in Turkey that are not in favour of fascism became the target of the AKP/MHP regime.

The regime launched relentless attacks. This war started with the absolute isolation and psychological torture against Rêber Apo [Abdullah Öcalan] in Imralı and was extended step by step to all parts of society. However, no matter how much the fascist regime attacked, it could not break the resistance attitude of Rêber Apo, the Kurdish people, his companions and his freedom movement and could not achieve its goal.

The fascist AKP/MHP regime therefore gathered its forces and launched a new attack to occupy the Medya Defence Zones with the support of the international hegemonic powers and local Kurdish collaborators. This attack began on 24 April 2021 and was directed against Avaşîn, Zap and Metîna. The Kurdistan Freedom Guerrilla put up historic resistance and prevented the AKP/MHP regime from implementing its plans. By occupying the Medya Defence Zones, the fascist regime planned to decisively weaken the Kurdistan Freedom Movement, complete the borders of Misak-ı Milli [the Ottoman National Pact] by occupying new areas, especially Southern Kurdistan, Shengal and Western Kurdistan (Rojava), and to consolidate its power again through such a military victory in the early elections in Turkey.

However, it did not succeed in 2021. The AKP/MHP special war regime then tried to realise its plan in 2022 on the basis of the same concept by using chemical weapons and unconventional bombs against the Kurdish freedom guerrillas. The fascist regime has received open and covert support from Gladio and collaborating, traitorous local elements in order to keep quiet about its war crimes. On this basis, the regime launched another invasion operation against Zap, Avaşîn and Metîna on 14 April 2022. The invasion began with extensive and intensive air strikes and continued on 17 April 2022 with an advance on the ground and an attempt to airdrop troops. This invasion operation was expected to yield results within a few weeks and was essentially based on the concept of ruthless use of chemical weapons, banned bombs, advanced war technology and heavy bombardment. However, in 2022, the freedom guerrillas put up an epic resistance through their Apoist sacrifice in Zap, Avaşîn and Metîna and stopped and thwarted the invasion by maintaining their positions and existence against all inhumane, war criminal attacks. As a result, the Turkish army had to withdraw from some areas at the end of 2022.

This period of war and inhuman attacks was initiated by the decision of Tayyip Erdoğan and Devlet Bahçeli to keep their fascist regime in power for another term. All the resources of the peoples of Turkey and the state have been mobilised for this war. The fascist regime tried to gain political advantages at the cost of the people's blood by equating the continuation of its own power with the continuation of the whole of Turkey and forcing everyone to support this war. However, day by day, the dirty war policy of the fascist regime became more and more obvious, the crimes against humanity committed by it were documented and it was revealed that it had brought Turkey to misfortune and to the brink of collapse. With Turkey's entry into the electoral process, it has now become completely clear that the leaders of this special war, such as Tayyip Erdoğan, Devlet Bahçeli, Hulusi Akar and Süleyman Soylu, are waging this war for the sake of political profits and are trying to secure their power and interests by shedding the blood of guerrilla fighters and soldiers, but that if they do not succeed, they will try to save themselves alone. Everyone is fed up with this fascist regime that only brings tears to the peoples of Turkey. Support for the regime has decreased significantly.

Undoubtedly, it was not easy to stop the invasion attacks and resist the countless attacks, including the chemical weapons and the banned bombs, and achieve such a historic result. The freedom guerrillas of Kurdistan, who have gained a self-sacrificing spirit and indomitable will through enlightenment in the consciousness of Apoist philosophy, heroically resisted the attacks of 2021 and 2022. With the onset of the winter season of 2022, the attacks of the Turkish army partially subsided, and the army had to withdraw from some places, but until today the attacks east and west of the Zap continue. During the one-year war, 259 of our comrades were martyred in the Medya Defence Zones.

2,833 members of the invading forces were killed and 387 were wounded. While the Medya Defence Zones were shelled tens of thousands of times by tanks, howitzers, mortars and other heavy weapons, 4,233 attacks were carried out by fighter jets and 5,628 by attack helicopters. Our resistance positions were attacked 3,730 times with unconventional bombs and chemical weapons. The fascist AKP/MHP regime committed serious crimes against humanity. The one-year balance sheet of the war, which started on 14 April 2022 and continued uninterruptedly until 14 April 2023 despite the cessation of actions declared by our movement two months ago, is as follows:

Attacks by the Turkish army with chemical weapons and unconventional bombs: 3,730

Attacks by combat aircraft: 4,233

Attacks by combat helicopters: 5,628

Invaders killed: 2,833

Invaders injured: 387

April 14, 2023

Central Headquarters of the People's Defence Forces