More young people are joining the guerrillas following the campaigns launched by the youth movements of the PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party) and PAJK (Party of Free Women in Kurdistan), Komalên Ciwan and Komalên Jinên Ciwan. The youth movements called on young people to join the struggle in the guerrilla ranks in the scope of the campaigns "Cenga Azadiyê Serbixin" [Win the Freedom War] and "Jin Jiyan Azadî, Serbixe Azadî" (Woman, Life, Freedom, Let’s Win Freedom!).

On the anniversary of the 15 August Breakthrough, when the Kurdish guerrillas fired the first bullet at the Turkish army in North Kurdistan in 1984, 20 young women from four parts of Kurdistan joined the guerrilla ranks.

20 more young people announced their participation in the guerrilla struggle in a press statement on Tuesday.

The new fighters pointed out that there has been no news of Abdullah Öcalan since March 2021. The Kurdish leader is completely isolated on the Turkish prison island of Imrali, and even his lawyers and relatives have no contact with him. His isolation is part of the Turkish state's policy of extermination against the Kurdish people, said the statement and continued:

“During the revolutionary struggle that has lasted for fifty years, Leader Apo (Abdullah Öcalan) has raised and trained countless courageous comrades who sacrifice their own lives for the revolution and a free life. The international plot against him was the result of the fear felt by the hegemonic powers of capitalist modernity. His resistance on Imrali shows the correctness of his saying that the people are the greatest force. He has developed his revolutionary philosophy and his paradigm of a Democratic Nation is recognised worldwide."

The statement continued: “The start of the armed struggle of the freedom movement in Kurdistan on 15 August 1984 revitalised the Kurdish people and thousands of young people took to the mountains to fight against oppression, genocide and fascism. We too join this revolutionary freedom march. We will fight side by side with our brave comrades who are resisting all NATO technology, chemical weapons and banned weapons used by the enemy against the guerrillas in the Free Mountains, Zap, Avaşîn and Metîna in the Medya Defence Zones. We will stand by those who inflict heavy blows on the enemy while defending the sacred lands of the Kurdistan mountains.”

The group said they participated in the struggle to achieve Öcalan’s freedom, avenge the martyrs and build a free life for the oppressed and called on the young people in all the four parts of Kurdistan to join this freedom march and the guerrilla of democratic modernity, the freedom guerrillas.

The new fighters vowed to take over the weapons of those who fell in Zap, Metina and Avaşin, to enhance the revolutionary struggle and to realize the dreams and goals of those who fell, adding: “We will win the revolutionary struggle for the freedom of our people.”