HPG Command Council’s and PKK Defence Committee’s annual meeting was held between 20-27 February. “The only success criterion is the physical freedom of Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan,” said the HPG Command Council.
In a statement on Friday, the Command Council of the People’s Defense Forces (HPG) said the following:
“We held our annual HPG Command Council and PKK Defence Committee meeting between 20-27 February 2023 with the participation of a sufficient number of council members representing all our administration, ground, state and institution commands to examine in depth the battles of 2022 which marked the most comprehensive and fierce war year in our history, to focus creatively on the tactics that brought success, to overcome the problems and inadequacies of the Revolutionary People's War and to put forward the planning of the next year.
Our meeting took place at a time when the 6 February Pazarcık and Elbistan earthquakes devastated our people. One of the topics in our meeting was the evaluation of this earthquake. As is known, our movement announced its inaction decision on February 10 as a moral, humanitarian and social attitude in the face of the severe consequences of the earthquake. As the HPG, we adhered to this decision as it was. However, the Turkish state, which is far from humanitarian values, continued its attacks by ignoring our moral attitude and respect for our dead. Our decision that relies on the approach and moral principles of our leader and Party is still in effect. On behalf of the Command Council, we offer our condolences to the families who lost their relatives in the earthquake, to all the Kurdish, Turkish and Arab peoples, and wish the injured a quick recovery. We call on all our people and democratic forces to expand and strengthen solidarity.
2022 WENT DOWN IN THE HISTORY OF FREEDOM
Our meeting, which took place at a time when our struggle for freedom is going through a historical and strategic process, discussed the 2022 struggle year in a very comprehensive way. Overcoming the inadequacies based on the lessons taken from this important process, which was experienced as a great year of resistance and struggle, paved the way for a more creative and successful practice of our tactical perspective which has been proven in practice. The meeting clarified the perspective and practical principles to succeed in 2023 with certainty based on the lessons of 2022 in which our tactical direction, expressed only in theory, was proven in practice. Our meeting, marked by the memory of our freedom fighters Sara and Rûken, and our martyrs in Zap, Avaşîn, Metina, Cudî, Gabar, Besta, Dersim, Serhat, Garzan and Amed, determined that the year 2022 went down in the history of freedom when self-sacrifice reached its peak with unique examples of heroism.
Our HPG Command Council and PKK Defence Committee meeting determined that the recent years we passed through were critical years that can never be considered ordinary. The war process that developed especially in the Medya Defence Zones has opened a new era not only for the Kurdistan Freedom Struggle, but also for the freedom struggles of the peoples and the guerrilla warfare doctrine. In line with the Revolutionary People's War Strategy, democratic modernity guerrilla warfare has proven its potential to defend free areas should tunnel battles and mobile team tactics are performed correctly and effectively. This situation reinforced the belief in victory, self-confidence and success among our command and fighting forces. In this sense, the struggle in the Medya Defence Zones yielded very valuable results for the future and achievements of our people, as well as for the peoples of the region and the anti-system forces seeking to resist the hegemonic forces. It has been strikingly revealed how guerrilla troops could resist modern technology and even protect their free lands from banned weapons in the 21st century.
SELF-DEFENSE MUST BE REINFORCED EVERYWHERE
At our meeting, the view that the Revolutionary People's War Strategy should be carried out in a complete and integrated manner was strongly emphasized. The Revolutionary People's War also means the dissemination of moral-political principles and measures among the people from the bottom. In this context, the creation of the reality of a fighting people will defeat the enemy's concept of genocide. Our people must regard the defence of their lands as a matter of honour and existence. The war currently being waged is not just an ordinary war, but a battle for our people's existence and freedom. Therefore, our meeting concluded that our people should organize their lives with this awareness and reinforce their self-defence everywhere against the psychological warfare methods of the enemy.
THE ONLY SUCCESS CRITERION IS ÖCALAN’S PHYSICAL FREEDOM
At a time when we are going through a significant process for the freedom of our people, the decisions made during our meeting, which lasted eight days with intense and in-depth discussions, play a very important role in the success of 2023. Our meeting, which was held as we entered the 25th year of the International Conspiracy, determined that the only success criterion was the physical freedom of Öcalan by giving the criticism of insufficient comradeship once again, and it was decided that responsibilities should be assumed by relying on these principles.
As HPG and YJA Star commanders and fighters, we state that we will continue with great passion, an unshakable will, an unbreakable faith, a claim to victory and high determination to realize the freedom of our leader and our people with the Apoist self-sacrificing spirit of our immortalized heroic martyrs Sara Goyî, Rûken Zelal, Bager Gever, Avzem Çiya, Delil Zagros, Mizgîn Ronahî, Cîger Malazgirt, Rûbar Rojhilat, Mawa Roj, Nuri Yekta, Helbest Koçerîn, Baz Mordem, Doğan Jîrkî, Fedaî Kobanê, Têkoşer Ezidi, Karkerî, Rojda, Nalîn, Rahime, Xebat, Zana, Evîndar, Aso, Harun and Rojbin. We wish our people and revolutionary democratic forces great success in their struggle for freedom.”
