The Press Office of People's Defense Forces (Hêzên Parastina Gel, HPG) has announced the full identity of a guerrilla fighter who died last Sunday in the countryside of Siirt province during clashes with operational units of the Turkish army. The fallen guerrilla is Ömer Özmen (Nom de Guerre: Şiyar Sara Garzan), who was born in Bitlis.

According to HPG, Ömer Özmen was born in 1992 in Hizan district as the child of a patriotic family. He became acquainted with the Kurdish liberation movement as a schoolboy, and during his studies he became more aware of the racist policy of the fascist Turkish state towards the Kurdish people with each passing day; "When our friend realized that the only effective fighting area against the 'fascist mentality' is the mountains of Kurdistan, he joined the ranks of the guerrilla in 2014. Within a short period of time, he achieved "a certain degree of ideological accumulation" there by equipping himself with the philosophy of the Kurdish mastermind Abdullah Ocalan. As a competent guerrilla fighter, our comrade Şiyar, with his creative intelligence, diligence and a smile that was never missing in his face, has established a throne in the heart of all his friends."

In view of the loss of Ömer Özmen, the HPG expressed their condolences to his family and the Kurdish people.