On 15 August 1984, the first shot was fired by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in Eruh, in North Kurdistan. A 36-strong guerrilla force led by the legendary commander Mahsum Korkmaz – also known by his nom de Guerre Egîd (“the Brave”) – carried out the first attack against the Turkish occupying forces that day. A military police barracks was selected for the action, which is considered the beginning of the armed liberation struggle. One guard and one officer were killed, while the guerrillas did not suffer any casualties.

The founding declaration of the HRK (Hêzên Rizgarîya Kurdistanê) was then read over the loudspeaker of a mosque. The statement by the “Kurdistan Liberation Forces”, as the guerrillas called themselves in the first years of the armed struggle in reference to the “Unit for the Liberation of Vietnam” formed at the beginning of the Vietnamese freedom struggle, said: “The HRK pursues the goal of fighting for our people for national independence, a democratic society, freedom and unity led by the PKK armed against imperialism, Turkish colonial fascism.”

A simultaneous raid was carried out under the command of Abdullah Ekinci (Ali) in Şemdinli. The guerrilla unit targeted a military barracks and attacked with machine guns and rockets. The Turkish state suffered losses in this attack too. Both towns were also briefly controlled by the HRK. 15 August broke the silence after the military coup of 12 September 1980. This day is considered a holiday by many Kurds because it marks the beginning of a movement that now includes millions.

Eruh action made history

In the middle of July 1984, the guerrilla groups left for the regions of Northern Kurdistan. The most difficult task was that of the group in Eruh. Egîd, the commander of the group, described the difficulties in his report as follows: “We could not find a single person in the city centre from whom we could get information. Many of the villages are deeply alienated from our struggle.” Moreover, Egîd had serious problems walking long distances due to congenital difficulties. In his diaries, which were later published, Egîd described this situation in a single sentence: “The pain in my knee prevents me from walking”, and he hid this discomfort in his feet from many of his friends. Historians would compare Egîd’s disability during mountain hikes to Che Guevara’s asthma.

Egîd practised with the guerrilla group on a model of Eruh and carried out the final reconnaissance for the attack on 13 August. Even hours before the action, many in the group did not know exactly where to attack. At dawn on 15 August, the group reached the designated point. At dawn, there was still a deep silence in the region. When dawn broke, Egîd pointed to the target, which looked like a dot in the distance. The whole group watched the town with binoculars. Eruh was three kilometres away.

Everything for the action had been calculated down to the smallest detail, even a “plan B” had been prepared. If the plan failed, the members of the group would try to reach a meeting point at the foot of the Çirav mountain.

At dusk on 15 August 1984, the group set off at around 7.30 pm. It reached Eruh around 9 pm and quickly split into three units. A few minutes later, the first shot rang out, fired at the guard post of the gendarmerie post. A rocket hit the upper floor of the barracks and a few minutes later the two-storey military building fell into the hands of the group. The soldiers panicked. Meanwhile, the “main attack column” stormed the officers’ mess.

While the foundation of the HRK was announced over the mosque loudspeaker, the guerrilla fighters controlled the city and destroyed the symbols of the Turkish state. The post office building and the bank were destroyed and the commander’s vehicle was set on fire.

The guerrilla group left Eruh around midnight with a wagonload of confiscated material. Everything was loaded onto mules at a bridge at the exit of the town and on 18 August the guerrilla unit safely reached their base again.

The action in Şemdinli under the command of Gözlüklü Ali

At the same time as the action in Eruh, the guerrillas also marched into Şemdinli. Unlike in Eruh, there were fierce clashes with the Turkish army in Şemdinli. Here, the guerrilla fighters under the command of Gözlüklü Ali attacked the police stations and military accommodation. The Turkish army suffered heavy losses. Despite the fierce clashes, the founding of the HRK was also announced in Şemdinli through leaflets