Press Release
In our history full of heroic epics, the "Month of Martyrs" is a month where leading figures of the Kurdistan Freedom Strıggle and of the Turkey struggle for revolution has reached martyrdom.
While May 18 is the martyrdom day of Haki Karer, Dörtler (Ferhat Kurtay, Eşref Anyık, Mahmut Zengin, Necmi Öner) and Ibrahim Kaypakkaya; May 19 is the martyrdom day of Halil Çavgın and Muslüm Baran; May 1 of Abdulkadir Çubukçu in Lebanon, county commander Ramazan Kaplan (Celal Hoca) in Garzan and his comrades, along with Cudi's esteemed comrade Hamza and his companions; May 2 of Mehmet Karasungur and Ibrahim Bilgin Comrades and Middle Field Commanders Azad Sîser and Çekdar Amed, May 6 of Deniz Gezmiş, Yusuf Aslan and Hüseyin Inan; 11 May Gurbet Aydin (Mizgîn), 16 May of Hêlîn in Hêwler, Salih and Ozan comrades together with tens of our comrades, and May 31 is the martyrdom date of the leading names of the Turkey revolution, Sinan Cemgil and his comrades. Also May 9 is the martyrdom day of Ferzad Kemanger, Şirin Elemhuli, Elî Heyderiyan and Ferhad Vekîlî, valuable militants of PJAK, who walked heroically and decisively on the death table. May is the month where thousands of heroes have reached martyrdom by resisting. We once again remember all of our revolutionary martyrs in the name of these precious martyrs, and we give the promise that we will carry on the memories of our martyrs with a triumphant victory.
Understanding the truth of the PKK, which is a "Martyrs Party" is possible to understand through its truth of martyrs. The colonialism applied in Kurdistan aims to alienate the individual to its history, culture, language and country; along with the physical massacre and genocide, as well as mainly a white genocide policy that is also implemented, and with this, this colonialism aims to virtually eliminate anything related to the Kurd and Kurdistan in the Kurdistani individual, and to remove the ethics, mentality and aesthetic of the individual. It has not been easy to decide a struggle for the freedom of a people whose existence-nonexistence is not even clear, and a country which has been attempted to be erased from memory, with its name being prohibited, and to take into account martyrdom in this struggle. If today the people of Kurdistan has confirmed its existence in a way without doubt and is walking towards freedom, what lies in the basis of this is the truth of the martyrs of this difficult struggle. In every word said for the Kurd and Kurdistan, in the basis of organizing, institutionalizing, awareness and action; lies the effort, sacrifice and blood of the martyrs. Therefore the martyrdom which began with Haki Karer and Halil Çavgun has become the most powerful basis to bring the individual and society in Kurdistan to meet with its own self.
What makes a case true and takes it to victory are the martyrs who devotedly put their lives to the forefront. It is not possible for a people to gain their freedom if they do not stand up for its children which puts their lives to the forefront for themselves. This truth carries on today just like it had been in the past. If today the people of Kurdistan are walking towards freedom in decisive steps, this has certainly been possible with our martyrs who have put their lives to the forefront for this people. Just as this truth has been brought to life with the name of the pioneer militants which have devoted themselves to their people, it is also a truth which has been concluded through the heroic people of Kurdistan which unblinkingly puts their lives to the forefront for their own values and pioneer militants today. Our people is one which has always stayed devoted to its martyrs, and has even given their own lives for them. Therefore the martyrdom truth in Kurdistan today shows how the freedom case is worthy and needed, of losing ones life in front of it, while it also gives the people left behind the conscience, bravery and the decisiveness for the freedom struggle.
The best response we can give to the memories of our great martyrs who have a historic role in the creation of this noble case and in the acquisition of the spirit of resistance, as a struggle and a life stance of superior sacrifice and participation, will be to march steadfastly in the victory line and achieve a high level of success in the direction of our people's expectations. As always, we will continue to fulfill the requirements of our duties and responsibilities under the command of these great martyrs, to plan all our duties in this axis, and to insist on being an effective practitioner as a means of adhering to the memories of these values.
The Kurdistan People's Defense Forces who are walking on the PKK leadership, the Martyrs' Party, will resist the difficulties and impossibilities whatever the difficulties and impossibilities by making the reasons for the freedom of our Leader and our people to be worthy of their history and fulfill the duty with ones whole self for the victory of our struggle. All Kurdistan liberation guerrillas today walk through the footsteps of these heroic martyrs, the Apoist devoted spirit lives at its peak, and as a sacrificial guerrilla army, it lives on the memory of martyrs in its resistance and march. On this basis, we once again remember our martyrs with respect and gratitude, once more with the determination to make the period of struggle we are in a victory period, and once again on this day we repeat the promise that we will definitely defend a life which is worthy of their memories.
19.05.2017
PEOPLE'S DEFENSE CENTRAL HEADQUARTERS COMMAND