YJA-Star (Free Women's Troops) Central Headquarters Commander Zozan Çewlik joined a program on News Channel TV assessing the 33rd anniversary of the August 15 initiative.

Çewlik firstly congratulated Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan, the Kurdish people, mothers of martyrs, all their comrades and all the martyrs of the revolution in the person of legendary commander of the August 15 Initiative Egîd on the anniversary of August 15, Day of Resurrection, with reverence and gratefulness.

Çewlik spoke about the circumstances and conditions of the August 15 initiative and said: "This initiative has become a milestone for the Kurdish people and our freedom struggle. The 15 August filled the heart of the Turkish colonialism with big fear for being a new method and resistance. For the Kurds this initiative comes to the meaning of taking a stand for their very existence. It took the shape of a bullet and hit surrender and betrayal to the core.

The prison resistance of the time manifested an immense resistance for the entire Kurdish people, and the August 15 Initiative signifies awakening and resurrection, after which the Kurdish people began to take a stand for the guerrilla. The guerrillas have provided the people with trust and became the people's beacon of hope. The August 15 initiative led the people to take to the mountains and join the guerrilla. This initiative became a self-defence resistance for the Kurdish people and opened the door to a rising awareness in terms of the armed struggle for legitimate self-defence."

Çewlik pointed out that the spirit, resistance and course of the 15th August has taken roots in the hearts, minds and brains of the Kurdish people and noted that the Kurdish people have marched and are still marching on this course of resistance.

YJA-Star Commander pointed out that it would be wrong to interpret today's resistance separate from the 15th August, adding: "The stance, militancy and leading personality of commander Egîd is for us not just of a simple person. Mahsum Korkmaz represents a course, a spirit and a method for us. It is important to understand Egîd in the context of the circumstances and conditions of his time. As for us, we are marching on the path of those like Egîd, Karasungur, Hawa, Zîlan as their followers. And those like Zerya and Çiyager have taken the lead in that context. This willpower is resting on this tradition."

Çewlik stressed that they deem it vital to absorb the experience inherited by those like Egîd, and continued: "We, the HPG and YJA-Star guerrillas are convinced that we are reshaping in the 21st century with our heritage, our experience and our struggle against the concept of the enemy and are marching accordingly. This is the reason that the Turkish army has faced a defeat in the war of the last two years."

Regarding the organization of the Kurdish women in an army, Çewlik said: "We have emerged from the August 15 Initiative. If this initiative of the PKK had not taken place, neither a female military formation would be realized in the mountains of Kurdistan, nor would the freedom of the women ever take place."

Çewlik stressed that the Kurdistan's women have bedecked themselves with an ideology, arms, wisdom and will resting on the 15th August initiative and have obtained an own identity on this basis.

YJA-Star Commander underlined that today in all four parts of Kurdistan the altruistic stance of the women has developed to the leading force in all areas; from Northern Kurdistan to the Medya Defence Zones, in form of the resistance against ISIS and in form of the stance against the Iranian regime.

“In this regard there is a historic task and duty. We the guerrillas of the YJA-Star have paid a heavy price and are ready for more as we march on the path of those like Egîd, Zîlan, Çiyager, Zerya and Mehmet Tunç with great morale for a free and democratic life for our people."