Our way through the guerrilla areas continues. In each unit we visit, we encounter new stories of the fighters. We are received warmly and experience exciting moments. In a conversation we meet a guerrilla fighter.

Azad comes from Kirkuk and joined the guerrilla in 2016. He says he could not stand the increasing influence of the Turkish state in South Kurdistan. Azad no longer wanted to accept the silence -and even the partnership- of the South Kurdistan government parties to the prevailing Turkish colonialism.

"I am with the PKK to protect my country"

Guerrilla Azad tells the following: "In southern Kurdistan, a war is taking place and the Turkish state is trying to occupy more areas. It knows himself that it cannot end the PKK, so it is aiming for an occupation. The South Kurdistan parties do nothing and even work with Turkey. The only force fighting against Turkish colonialism is the PKK. I joined the PKK to protect my country.”

"I knew nothing about the world before"

After joining the PKK, Azad realized that he had not used his time well in the past. His life has changed through the education and ideas of ethics, humanism and struggle mediated by the PKK, he says. "Before, I had no idea about the world and lived as if we were freed from colonialism in Southern Kurdistan. It was only here that I realized that the young people are consciously imposed such views.”

"We have to fight"

Azad believes that all young people should join the guerrilla against colonialism. He appeals to the young people, especially those in South Kurdistan: "The PKK life has humanity and very strong relationships of comradery. Join the PKK as you get to know and understand yourselves, your history, your people and your country while at the same time living as free people. To drive colonialism out of our country, we have to fight."

Azad speaks very confident and sincere. We say goodbye to him and make our way to the next guerrilla unit.