On 15 August 1984, the PKK began the armed struggle in Kurdistan with an action in  Eruh. The decisive first shot, which, as Frantz Fanon put it, hits the colonial master as well as the colonized self-image, was fired by Commander Egîd (Mahsum Korkmaz). He thus triggered the beginning of the military freedom struggle that thousands of Kurds are continuing in the mountains today.

Two of these guerrillas are Dilgeş Botan (HPG) and Avaşîn Kurtay Dîrok (YJA Star). In this ANF interview, they spoke about the significance of 15 August.

Avaşîn Kurtay Dîrok said: “For us on the tops of the mountains, the celebrations of 15 August have a very special meaning. 15 August was a light of hope for our entire people. Before 15 August, the people of Kurdistan were facing annihilation. From Agirî to Amed to Dersim, the Kurdish people experienced the most severe massacres. They were unable to rebel or rise up. With the emergence of the PKK and the resistance in the prisons, this situation changed. With the start of the armed struggle under the vanguard of Heval Egîd, a new era began.

Today, the freedom struggle in the mountains of Kurdistan continues in the spirit of 15 August. The YJA Star and HPG are razing the enemy's positions to the ground. Numerous actions were carried out against the enemy even under the most difficult winter conditions. Every day, drones belonging to the invading forces are shot down. All of this is a continuation of the uprising of 15 August. It is in this spirit that we fight against the enemy. Heval Sara and Rûken and Heval Erdal and Rojhat, filled with this spirit of resistance, also struck the enemy in the heart. We have internalized the spirit of resistance of 15 August."

The guerrilla is referring here to Sara Goyî (Tolhildan) and Rûken Zelal, who carried out an action against a police base in Mersin on 26 September 2022. The two women had entered the base, killed the entrance guard, and then penetrated inside. They opened fire with long guns and then blew themselves up among police officers. "The two fighters were determined to sacrifice their lives in the action," said the HPG. According to the HPG, there were deaths and injuries in the ranks of the police during the action. Rojhat Zîlan (Özkan Şahin) and Erdal Şahin (Hasan Oğuz) carried out a similar action against the Ministry of the Interior in Ankara last year. "The guerrillas have defeated the AKP/MHP coalition"

HPG guerrilla Dilgeş Botan said: "In this war, it is a matter of life and death for the Kurdish people. We firmly believe that we will win this battle. Every day we deal heavy blows to the enemy. This gives our people great enthusiasm and morale.

The effect of enemy drones in Kurdistan is decreasing day by day. This fact shows that the AKP-MHP alliance has already been defeated by the guerrillas. The occupation army has used all its technical possibilities and means against the guerrillas. But we continue to offer great resistance to these attacks. This war will be won because the struggle is being waged in the spirit of Comrade Egîd. He ignited the fire of freedom, and we are increasing this fire day by day. Hevalê Egîd has changed the fate of the Kurdish people."