Kurdish HPG fighter Bahoz Êrîş and the internationalist fighter Intikam Gelhat spoke to ANF about the Turkish state’s attacks on the Medya Defense Areas and the guerrilla resistance.

In his assessment of the current situation, Bahoz Êrîş first addressed the aim of the Turkish occupation attacks and said: “As is well known, the Turkish state has been trying to occupy the guerrilla areas for a long time using various forms of attack. The Turkish army’s occupation operations in the regions of Zap, Avaşîn, Xakurke, Metîna and Heftanîn have been ongoing since 2016. In winter 2021, the Gare region was also attacked. Thanks to the resistance led by Heval Şoreş, the Turkish army suffered a heavy defeat in Gare. The war in Siyanê and the other areas in Gare brought about changes in the guerrilla struggle. A new form of guerrilla warfare has emerged. The enemy attacks the guerrillas with technical strength, but we have developed the war tunnel method to make this technology fail.”

Guerrilla Êrîş continued: “In the spring of 2021, the war in the regions of Avaşîn, Zap and Metina took on a more intensified form. The guerrilla fighting was concentrated on the Mamreşo, Sor and Zendura peaks and continued there. The enemy has been forced to use other techniques in the last three years. Turkey cannot defeat the guerrillas with fighter jets and drones. That’s why it resorts to dirty war methods and uses chemical weapons and tactical nuclear weapons against the guerrillas.

This is how the enemy wants to take over the guerrilla positions. It has troops stationed in some areas in Avaşîn, Zap and Metina, but it does not have the strength to penetrate our positions. In 2022, our war against the Turkish occupier state has reached a peak. If Turkey was in trouble in one place and got stuck, it would attack the guerrillas elsewhere. It wanted to push the guerrillas out of the areas it wanted to occupy. With this aim in mind, the attacks were expanded in 2022. Turkey also wanted to occupy certain areas in 2023, but did not succeed.”

Gerrilla Êrîş said: “The Turkish army is making no progress against the guerrillas. The Turkish state is not in a position to fight against our comrades itself. He only fights with his technical strength. Even in winter, the techniques it relies on will be ineffective. The situation of the Turkish state will continue to deteriorate. Under these circumstances, guerrilla war performance will reach a peak. Last year, the guerrillas destroyed many enemy positions in the Girê Hekarî and Girê Cûdî as well as in the Zap region. The enemy had to flee, leaving the bodies of its own soldiers behind. In the same way, we will defeat the enemy with strong actions and prevent his advance.”

“Guerrillas deal heavy blows to the enemy”

Internationalist guerrilla Intikam Gelhat said: “As is known, the Turkish state has launched a large-scale attack on the Medya Defense Areas. There are also enemy attacks in many other mountainous regions of Kurdistan. As guerrillas, we deal heavy blows to the enemy. It will not be easy for the Turkish state. We have military and ideological preparations. We know that the enemy will undertake even larger occupation attacks. On this basis, we prepared for war. In addition, we also prepare ourselves as individuals. The enemy wants to break into the war tunnels, but we won’t allow that.”