YJA STAR (Free Women’s Troops) and HPG (People’s Defense Forces) guerrillas spoke to ANF on the 21st anniversary of the international conspiracy that led to the capture and departure of Abdullah Öcalan from Kenya to Turkey on 15 February 1999.

YJA STAR guerrilla Berwelat Botan stated that they have doomed the international conspiracy to fail yet on the first day and stated that they would enlighten this ‘Dark Day’ by liberating Kurdistan and its people and realizing their goal of taking Öcalan out of Imralı.

Botan emphasised that the Turkish state that sought to finish off the PKK would never achieve this goal, saying; “We follow in the footsteps of our comrades who have pioneered us. The mountains of Zagros are mighty and rebellious, but we live on these mountains with a great love and commitment. We promise to enhance our struggle with all our might for the freedom of our leader and people.”

YJA STAR guerrilla Devrim Koçer said Öcalan presented the prescription for the liberation of not only the Kurdish people but all oppressed peoples, which is why he was targeted by the hegemonic powers.

Koçer said: “Our Leader might be physically away but he is always with us with his philosophy and ideology. Let’s not forget this; the PKK got started with six people but it is millions today.”

HPG guerrilla Sidar Amed pointed out that the international conspiracy targeted all humanity in the person of Öcalan and continued;

“The philosophy of our leader represents the will and achievements of the Kurdish people, the unity of Middle Eastern peoples and the fraternity of all world peoples. It constitutes an alternative to the destructions of capitalist modernity. The hegemonic powers considered this to be a threat. They wanted to choke the philosophy of our leader because they saw that their rule would collapse. Having failed to foil his philosohy, they targeted our leader personally. For 21 years now, our leader has been held under heavy psychological conditions on Imralı. We promise to make 2020 the year of victory to achieve the freedom of our leader and our people, and an equal, democratic and free life.”

HPG guerrilla Şoreşger Xeregol pointed to the Rojava Revolution developing in line with Öcalan’s paradigm, saying; “Rojava Revolution is the manifestation of the fact that the conspiracy has been frustrated and resistance has prevailed over fascism. A struggle is waged on the basis of people’s unity. All peoples and faiths are resisting together against the Turkish army and their mercenaries. This is a frustration of the conspiracy. Our primary goal as the guerrillas of Kurdistan, is to give a struggle worthy of our leader’s ideology.”