The Press Center of the People’s Defense Forces (HPG) released a statement on the Week of Heroism, observed between March 21 and 28, commemorating the death anniversary of Mazlum Doğan in the Turkish military prison in Diyarbakır (Amed), and the death of Mahsum Korkmaz in 1986.
The HPG highlighted the central importance of Mazlum Doğan and Mahsum Korkmaz, underlining the historical continuity of resistance from the prisons to the mountains of Kurdistan.
Mazlum Doğan and the spark of resistance
The HPG described Mazlum Doğan as a symbol of resistance against torture in the junta’s prison, saying that his action on March 21, 1982, initiated a new phase of struggle. “The flame ignited by Mazlum Doğan with three matches has today turned into a fire of freedom carried by millions,” said the statement said and described his actions as having given Kurdish society “consciousness, identity, and determination,” shaping the movement to this day.
Mahsum Korkmaz and the armed breakthrough
HPG stated that Mahsum Korkmaz, known as Egîd, was a commander who carried the line of resistance into the mountains. With the “first shot” fired on August 15, 1984, against Turkish forces, he marked the beginning of the armed phase. “Commander Egîd broke through the attempt at annihilation and embodied the transition from impending destruction to rebirth.”
Resistance as an ongoing line
The statement directly linked historical events to the present, stressing that the resistance which began in the 1980s continues today. “We carry on our struggle in the spirit of Mazlum and Egîd,” the HPG stated, also emphasizing its adherence to the line of Abdullah Öcalan and its goal of advocating for his physical freedom.
Newroz and political will
The HPG also referred to this year’s Newroz celebrations, describing them as an expression of resistance and unity. The broad participation, it said, demonstrated that the political will of the people remains unbroken. The “Week of Heroism” is therefore not only a commemoration, but also a call to continue along the chosen path, the statement underlined.
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