Interview with Tirej Özgür, one of the MLKP guerrillas who are fighting against the occupying attacks of the colonialist Turkish army against South Kurdistan.

The colonialist Turkish state continues its occupation attacks against the Media Defense Areas and the MLKP guerrillas have been taking part in the resistance. What would you like to say about these?

First of all, we have to admit that, being in the war trenches is not a choice but a matter ıof an obligation for us. Because this attack of the Turkish state aims to liquidate one of the most important centers of the Kurdistan revolution, to hit our freedom struggle and its guerrillas. According to the plans of the colonialist fascism, if the Medya Defense Areas are captured, then the Kurdistan revolution as a whole would be strangled. The continuous bombardments depending on the high military technology reveals how the fascist AKP - MHP alliance reckon on this desperate plan.

We all know that the counter-revolutionary fascist regime of the Palace carries out the occupying attacks on the Media Defense Areas through a massive campaign of lie and demagogy. However, within all these storm of lies, they fail to hide one single truth: the colonialist fascist regime is standing right in the middle of a crisis of existence, or the so-called the existential cause with their terminology. Because the level of the revolution struggle in Northern Kurdistan and the Rojava revolution, which has begun to spread to the Middle East are taking away the existence right of colonialism. The revolution is dragging the counter-revolution to a collapse. Thus, as a last resort, the fascist AKP-MHP alliance heads for the occupation, attacking the revolutionary forces located in the free lands of Southern Kurdistan.

As the MLKP guerrillas, we are defending the strategic center of our revolution, the Kurdistan mountains free from colonialism, against the enemy's occupying attacks. We have taken up our arms at the same trenches, being shoulder to shoulder with the HPG and YJA STAR guerrillas. We know that if we defeat fascist colonialism here, it would be an important victory for the revolution against the counter-revolution. We will not only defeat the colonialist army here in the free mountains of Kurdistan, but at the same time, it would be a great blow to the last stand of the Palace regime, smashing their hollow hopes of the fascist alliance which aims to stop our revolution.

Here we have to admit another point. Our existence here in the war trenches relies on another reason which is as important as defending our free mountains. Because the fascist Turkish colonialism's aggression over Medya Defense Areas is a part of the colonialist occupying policy over the Southern Kurdistan in general. It is clear that the Turkish state's attacks does not only target the free mountains and the freedom fighters here in the Medya Defense Areas, because it has been trying to have a military existence in South Kurdistan for a while, aiming to gain an institutional character there. As the MLKP guerrillas, just as how we fight against colonialism in the Northern Kurdistan and Rojava, we do also present the same fight in the Southern Kurdistan as well.

These colonialist attacks aiming to occupy Southern Kurdistan have been on the course for about one year. What is the actual situation of the ongoing war in the line from Xakurke to Zap?

As I've mentioned just before, the Turkish army is trying to carry out its occupying attacks against Medya Defense Areas with lie, demagogy and black propaganda. That's why, it is important to state at first that there is no victory of colonialism here, as they keep on saying so. The propaganda of the Palace regime's media works only for hiding the blows the receive from us.

It is true that, after the occupying attacks has started, the colonialist Turkish army accompanied by intense air bombardments has entered to the areas of Xakurke, Bradost and Lelikan and positioned at some of the hills there. But since then, the colonialist army has not moved forward, neither they withdrew. We are in a constant action together with the HPG and YJA-STAR guerrillas to remove the enemy from those hills. Our actions has brought quite much casualties to the enemy so far. The silence of their media about what's going on here now is not enough to change this reality. The AKP-MHP alliance do well aware of the amount of their casualties. That is to say, the occupying forces are in a deep dead-end.

On the other hand, the situation in Zap is quite different. The occupying forces have not entered to this area yet. They have been positioned on some of the hills located on the south of Colemerg (the city located within the borders of Turkey/North Kurdistan). They have been attacking to Zap area with heavy weapons and air strikes from those points. We can easily state that, if the fascist Palace regime will attempt for an occupation by moving forward from the land, it will receive a heavier defeat than the previous war happened in Zap, having nothing to withdraw this time.

We know that Şevin Söğüt, the MLKP/FESK guerrilla, fell martyr at the war trenches against these occupying attacks. What would you like to say about her?

The martyrdom of our comrade Şevin showed that, no matter what it costs, our party will never give up defending the Medya Defense Areas against the colonialist Turkish army. Everyone should know this fact that the communists cannot remain silent against the occupants.

It is the rule for every revolution: the revolution proceeds with the martyrs. Our martyrs fell on these lands are the most valuable respond to the occupying colonialism. After the North and the East (Rojava) parts of Kurdistan, our party's flag now waving in the South in the name of Şevin comrade. She fell together with the YJA-STAR guerrillas; their blood and victory slogans are melded together. And she has left us a clear message, just as how her life was: we will extirpate the occupants out from Kurdistan!

According to the statements of the TSK and the regime's media, the guerrillas are facing with heavy casualties as a result of these occupying attacks. Is the situation true as it is claimed?

The occupying Turkish army is not waging the war only with their high-tech weapons such as the combat drones, jets or their "beloved" howitzers. Since they know that all these would not be enough to defeat us, they accompany those with a specially organized, unique psychological war. The psychological war has two goals. First, it aims to create a panic and fear atmosphere among our ranks, trying to dismay us with a feeling that the victory can never be achieved. Although it remains as a vain effort, they keep on trying to develop an idea as if we are weak and they are undefeatable.

Secondly, the existing psychological war seeks for hiding the truth from workers, laborers and oppressed peoples. They want to turn out the truths by spreading wrong statistics and lies. The media under their rule stands as the most important weapon within this psychological war.

If you follow the spin-doctors of the Palace, you cannot deal with the numbers of "guerrillas leaving their ranks" or of the bombed guerrilla points. Again, the numbers given for the martyr guerrillas seem not to have any end. If the numbers of the Turkish army released via the media were correct, then we would have witnessed thousands of guerrillas fell martyr, tens of thousands wounded so far.

But what they keep on saying is a big lie. The colonialist aggression of the fascist AKP-MHP alliance remains insufficient to stop the guerrillas. It is known that our party has been in the Media Defense Areas for many years and the colonialist attacks have not created any disruption in our revolutionary duties so far. Of course, we have martyrs and woundeds. However, they are too few compare to the numbers given by the Turkish army. Our peoples should not believe in these lies and propaganda of the occupying colonists but turn their faces towards the statements of the guerrillas.

Against the occupying attacks, there have been important actions in which the MLKP and KBDH (Women's United Revolution Movement) forces did also took part actively. How is the war proceeds in terms of the guerrilla forces?

During this period, we have carried out two operations under the name of Şehit Agiri and Şehit Piroz, among the areas of Çarçella, Avaşin, Xakurke ve Zap. Within the context of these revolutionary operations, there have been a series of effective actions in which the MLKP guerrillas have been actively participated. These actions were mostly carried out as assaults to their trenches, assassinations, sabotage, missiles and recently, as bombing the enemy points with drones. In the coming period the actions of the guerrillas will be much more diversified and technically enriched.

How do you evaluate the unresponsiveness of the Southern Kurdistan government against the attacks of the colonialist Turkish state?

First of all, we have to draw a distinction here. Because the anti-colonialist feeling and attitude of our people is totally different than the KDP and YNK's attitude towards occupation. We have seen in Şeladize that the people of Southern Kurdistan do not have any tolerance to the colonialists. Our people have shown that they will not remain silent to the colonialist Turkish state, which has occupied their land, bombed their houses and villages. Şeladize rebellion is our people's rebellion of honor.

However, especially the attitude of the KDP is never compatible with the national attitude, with patriotism. Rather than fighting against the Turkish colonialism, these forces are targeting the guerrillas, who are fighting for the freedom of Kurdistan, defending the Southern Kurdistan against the ISIS gangs in Shengal, Erbil and Maxmur. Besides, they are trying to suppress our peoples, who stand against the occupants, by detentions.

Obviously, it is not possible to win the freedom of Kurdistan with this view that gives approval to colonialism. KDP and other forces, who approve the occupation in one way or other, must adopt a national attitude and expel the colonialists from the Southern Kurdistan. The collaborator mentality, which serves the values of Kurdistan to the colonialists for the sake of preserving themselves both in an economic and political sense, have nothing for our peoples. By seeing this truth, our peoples challenge the colonialists, putting their will in practice against them.

What is your call to the peoples of Turkey and Southern Kurdistan?

From here, we call to our peoples in Turkey and Northern Kurdistan to stand against the occupying attacks of the Turkish army. Our peoples should know that, our war here at the free mountains is one of the most important parts of the war for the freedom of Kurdistan. If the occupying forces will be defeated here, then their will would be broken and they will have to reconsider their attacking plans against the other parts of Kurdistan.

The peoples of Turkey on the other hand must see the truth that our war here is the most crucial component of the freedom struggle given against the fascist alliance of AKP-MHP. Our resistance is pushing Erdoğan dictatorship to a dead-end. It is clear that this is a great anti-fascist war. And all the anti-fascist forces facing the Palace dictatorship must support this freedom resistance.