Kurdish female fighters: ‘This is not just an armed struggle, anyone can engage with the struggle to their own ability’

Whilst operations launched by Turkey on the Zap, Metina and Avashin regions in northern Iraq have been continuing since late April, Kurdish fighters of the People’s Defence Forces (HPG) and Free Women’s Unity (YJA-star) – both military wings of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) – respond to the Turkish army with a series of counter-actions.

Kurdish female fighters who are reported to be actively participating in a PKK action called the “Bazên Zagrosê revolutionary action” shared their views and calls with the ANF.

Dersin Baran, a YJA-star fighter, said of the clashes on Mount Zagros: “We are rewriting history, writing a new epic through the Bazên Zagrosê action on Mount Zagros. The enemy have used many brutal tactics to attack the guerilla zones. Everyone should see the true character of the enemy we are fighting against,” she said.

Baran called upon the Kurdish people with the following message: “Our people should act as one against these attacks. They should embrace their guerillas and the women who have sacrificed their lives to resistance on the mountains. No one should remain silent or bow down before the oppressors.”

Another female fighter, Nucan Heqi said that Kurdish fighters have high spirits and morale: “We are waging a war against a high-tech army. But their high-tech weapons are not working out as planned. We sacrifice our lives for our people. We sacrifice our lives for our leader Apo [Abdullah Öcalan]. We will follow the resistance path of our martyred friends,” Heqi said.

Nujiyan Sperti shared details of the clashes in Mam Resho and stated that Turkish armed forces used “chemical gas” in Mam Resho to be able to get into the war tunnels.

“We only had seven friends in Mam Resho. The enemy could not get anywhere near the tunnels of these friends despite all their technical abilities. They sent dogs into the tunnels, and still did not succeed. Finally, they resorted to chemical gas,” she said.

“While only one of our friends still lived they could not find the courage to step into the tunnels,” she added.

Sperti urged people, and the youth in particular, to engage in the struggle in any way possible: “This is not just a guerilla war. It is not just an armed struggle. We call on the youth to join the resistance and stand shoulder to shoulder against the attacks. But those who are unable to come to the mountains can engage with the struggle to their own ability,” she said.