Journalist Amed: The Turkish invaders were defeated with the spirit of Garê resistance

Doğan Amed, a journalist working in the Medya Defense Zones, described the Garê struggle as a historic success for both the Kurdish people and the guerrillas.

On 10 February 2021, the Turkish state launched an attack to conquer large portions of the Medya Defense Zones, particularly the area of Garê. In the Turkish state’s strikes, 14 guerrillas and a civilian were killed as well as 12 captive soldiers who had been in the hands of the PKK for years were killed.

Journalist Doğan Amed, who closely monitored developments in the Media Defense Zones on the anniversary of the Garê resistance’s victory, responded to ANF’s questions.

What did the Turkish government want to do when it attacked Garê, and what kind of situation did they encounter?

As it is well known, after the fascist AKP leader Erdogan abandoned the peace talks, he launched a massive campaign against the Freedom Movement and the Kurdish people. Erdogan assembled all opponents of the Kurdish people under one roof. His goal was to attack with all of his strength, leaving neither Kurds nor Kurdistan. Almost all opponents of Erdogan’s government in Turkey were expelled. Thus, in 2015, the big war began. In the guerrilla regions, numerous large-scale occupation operations were carried out. In addition to these attacks, a special war was undertaken. They claimed in front of the cameras every day that they were destroying the guerrillas. They sought to keep the people isolated from the guerrillas.

Under the so-called state of emergency laws, tens of thousands of people were detained and imprisoned. However, the AKP-MHP regime was unable to defeat the guerrillas. This attacks continued till the beginning of 2021. And then the Turkish government tried a new strategy. They launched an operation to free the soldiers held by the PKK, but the ultimate purpose of the operation was to take over the PKK’s headquarters. If Garê collapsed, they planned to take over all of the guerrilla regions. This invading operation had been planned for 7 months. Thurkey was backed by both internal and external powers.

The KDP intelligence parastin provided information to the MIT. In other words, the Garê operation was a comprehensive plan, but they forgot about guerrilla resistance. The fascist Turkish state conducted numerous attacks, including some with chemical weapons, but was unable to defeat the guerrilla resistance. As a result, Garê became a trap for the fascist Turkish state, and it suffered a significant military and political blow.

What does the victory in Garê mean for both the guerrillas and the Kurds?

For 40 years, the rebels have waged a liberation war against the genocidal Turkish regime. Many historical stages have passed in the last 40 years. There have been a number of key processes. These processes have had a lot of success. One of them was the guerrillas triumph in Garê. Because the HPG and YJA-STAR guerrillas fought generously. For four days, the Turkish army deployed a variety of tactics against the guerrillas. They also made use of chemical weapons. The resistance, however, was brought to success by the guerrillas who battled with an Apoist determination. The guerrillas who fought under Martyr Şoreş Beytüşebap’s leadership demonstrated once again that resistance is not priceless.  

Garê’s achievement was, of course, historic. Because it has yielded important results for both the present and the future. Fighting in Garê provided the guerrillas with experience in a variety of different techniques. For the first time, tunnel warfare methods were used. Many actions were conducted out by guerrilla troops.

The Kurdish people’s national feelings were also strengthened as a result of this victory. The people realized once more that no matter how hard the enemy attacked, they would never be able to defeat the guerrilla. On the contrary, the guerilla is becoming more powerful. The Garê resistance strengthened the people’s belief in the PKK.

What would be the picture if Turkey had won in Garê and how would this affect the Kurds, especially in South Kurdistan?

The Barzani family and the KDP are known to have served the invaders a golden platter after the 1990s. The Turkish state took advantage of this high-level coordination and attacked the Kurdish people and the PKK movement. Garê is a strategically important area. It is a big territory and it is the epicenter of guerilla warfare.

Foreign countries, particularly NATO members and the United States, made significant concessions to Turkey for this operation, but the KDP provided the biggest support. The KDP offered major support to the Erdogan dictatorship in intelligence, logistical, and media.

As a result, if the Turkish army had been successful in Garê, it would have taken a fresh step toward the genocide of Kurds. The Erdogan dictatorship had planned everything. A large sum of money was invested in the fight against the freedom movement. In other words, the Turkish state would have entire control over South Kurdistan. In South Kurdistan, the Turkish intelligence, MIT, is almost as widespread as Parastin. The people was under a lot of strain. These pressures would have reached their peak if Turkey had been victorious in Garê. In other terms, the guerillas triumph averted a major threat.

What are the consequences of the Garê struggle for the Kurdish people and politics?

The most essential outcome of the Garê victory is that the Kurdish fighters will never be defeated. Kurds and all political groups understood that those who battle and struggle with an Apoist determination never lose. No matter how powerful the invaders are, they will not be able to defeat the PKK movement. Those who seek the liberation of the Kurdish people should join the guerilla resistance. All social and political parties should oppose the Turkish occupation and KDP collaboration.

Is there anything more you’d like to say?

As journalists, we keep a close eye on the guerrilla resistance. Garê represents a historical success.  This victory will have far-reaching consequences in the long run. Of course, the Garê triumph resulted in the war that erupted in all Medya Defense Zones in 2021. This accomplishment must be accurately read. The guerrillas are really the only force that stopped the genocide against the Kurds.