As the invasion operation launched by the Turkish army in the guerrilla-held Medya Defense Zones in southern Kurdistan (northern Iraq) on April 17 continues, Turkish troops suffer heavy blows in the ongoing war with the guerrilla forces.

The Kurdistan Freedom Guerrillas called on Turkish soldiers to lay down arms, saying, “Have you ever thought about where you are now? What are you doing in the lands of Kurdistan? Why have they sent you here? There is only one answer to this; you are here to prolong the fascist AKP-MHP regime.”

The call of the guerrillas over transmitters includes the following:

“Soldiers, sons of the poor people!

You should know this well; Tayyip Erdoğan, Hulusi Akar and Süleyman Soylu want to continue exploitation and corruption by being hostile to the Kurdish people and sending the children of the poor Turkish people to death.

If the phrase “everything is for Turkey” is not a lie, why is there not any son of an AKP minister or a deputy as your fellow? Have you ever asked why there is no general's son among you? It is obvious that these people are exploitative enemies of the people who feed on the blood of poor people's children.

You should know well that Erdogan is a vampire who wants to maintain his power through the blood of the children of the Kurdish and Turkish people in order to further cement his power that is about to collapse.

You should know that this war is not your war. It is a war waged by the rich, the bosses and the bourgeois class that send you to death by paying you a few cents. Lay down your arms!

Get to know the commanders who want to protect themselves by sending you to death!

The tunnels of revolution are death tunnels for colonial soldiers. Your commanders know this and they send you to your death for their own professional career. Have you ever heard of anyone who entered the tunnels of revolution and managed to get out? You can't hear it. Because there is no one who entered there and survived. If they still insist on sending you into these tunnels, don't be tricked. We have nothing to do with you. We are the children of this country like you. We are not against you. We are against the political power and its associates who live a life of luxury in palaces by sucking the blood of poor people through the politics of war and rent. Therefore, we are at war with the bigwig and commanders who are waging this war. If they tell you that someone must come, then let your commanders come first and take the lead.

Soldiers, sons of the poor people!

You should know this well; if you surrender to the guerrillas, you will not die. The guerrillas will keep you alive and offer you the opportunity to lead a democratic and free life. Surrender to the guerrilla!

The young men and women who take to these mountains for a free and dignified future for all of the poor and working people are not your enemies. They don't regard you as an enemy either. Don't fight them. Surrender to the guerrilla. Get rid of this corrupted and fascist system. Only in this way can the peoples and working classes of Turkey be protected from persecution. The only right way to do this is to stop serving the regime which is a puppet of the bloodthirsty imperialists and to be in solidarity with the revolutionaries from Turkey and Kurdistan, who are fighting them. This is the most dignified and honourable way.

The way to live as an honest citizen is not to fight for money and spill the blood of people's children. It is rather to fight oppression and bloodthirsty rulers who exploit the people and to work for a free and democratic country and life. The Kurdistan Freedom Guerrillas are the self-sacrificing heroes who fight for entire Turkey by expanding the struggle for freedom in Kurdistan and democracy in Turkey. Don't fight them! If you want to be an honest citizen of Turkey, do not take up arms against the guerrilla forces. Lay down your arms and meet the free world; and be an honourable and happy soldier of the struggle for peace and democracy!”