Amid increasing political, economic and social problems in Southern (Bashurê) Kurdistan, young people continue joining the PKK ranks, which they say is the only way in order for them to defend the lands and people of Kurdistan.

A new group of young people has joined the guerrilla and made a statement, in which they stressed that they have taking sides with the PKK for the freedom of Leader Apo (Abdullah Öcalan) and defense of Kurdistan lands.

The statement by the youth from Bashur is as follows;

“Invading forces are attacking the lands of Kurdistan every day and the Kurdish people are being subjected to attacks of fascist states. The situation in Bashurê Kurdistan is quite different when compared to the past. Enemies seek to defeat the Kurdish people and imperialist powers want to destroy Kurdistan’s lands and people through invading states. Iran and Turkish states have formed an alliance with the ultimate goal of attacking and destroying the Kurdish people and their gains. People are intimidated through the Turkish state’s intelligence service in Bashur, and there are efforts to tear them apart from their reality. It is also intended to render the youth unresponsive by means of drugs.

They want to invade our lands and leave us in a desperate situation. Just like the invasion of Kirkuk, Germiyan, Daquq, Tuz Khurmatu and Xaneqin, the Turkish state wants to attack and invade Efrîn now. On the other hand, the Iranian state intends to make its Shia crescent dream a reality through plans over Kurdistan, while the fascist Turkish state wants to realize its Ottoman dreams in Kurdistan soil.

As youths from Bashurê Kurdistan, we have joined the PKK ranks as part of the Serî Hilde (Rise Up) campaign, seeing ourselves as a force and refusing to be onlookers. We have taken to the mountains and joined the guerrilla. We call upon the Bashurê Kurdistan youth to join the Serî Hilde campaign and head to the mountains.”