Guerrillas Hebûn Pîro and Botan Osyan fell as martyrs in North Kurdistan. According to the Press Center of the People's Defense Forces (HPG), the two guerrillas died on 15 September in clashes in the Amed region after contact with the enemy occurred during a military operation by the Turkish army.

The HPG paid tribute to Hebûn Pîro and Botan Osyan as brave and experienced revolutionaries who were part of the uninterrupted freedom struggle in Bakurê Kurdistanê (North Kurdistan) under extremely difficult conditions. "Our comrades Hebûn and Botan led our liberation struggle unreservedly and with a willingness to make sacrifices," the HPG said.

The HPG expressed its condolences to the families of the two guerrillas and the people of Kurdistan, and provided the following information about the identity, life and struggle of Hebûn Pîro and Botan Osyan:

 Code name: Hebûn Pîro

 First and last name: Zirav Taş

 Place of birth: Amed

 Names of mother and father: Amine - Selam

 Date and place of death: September 15, 2024 / Amed

 Code name: Botan Osyan

 First and last name: Fehmi Başkurt

 Place of birth: Sêrt

 Names of mother and father: Xemê - Tahir

 Date and place of death: September 15, 2024 / Amed

Hebûn Pîro

Hebûn Pîro was born in Amed and grew up in a family active in the Kurdish freedom movement. His village was destroyed by the Turkish state in 1993, and his father was subjected to constant repression.

After being forced to leave the village, Hebûn was sent to school in Amed and was regularly punished if he expressed himself in his mother tongue. As an adolescent, he was active in the youth movement and saw the first stone he threw at the state authorities as a liberating blow. His older brother Hebûn Pîro (Yusuf Taş) joined the guerrillas in 2003 and was killed in battle four years later.

In 2013, Hebûn followed his brother’s path to the mountains and adopted his battle name. He received his first training with the guerrillas in Amed and later went to the Medya Defense Areas. After a long period of practice, during which he took on tasks in various areas, he returned to his home region of Amed as a mature fighter and became a regional commander. He fulfilled this responsibility with determination and discipline and at a high work pace. He cared for his fellow fighters and trained them to enable everyone to participate actively in the struggle. "With his selflessness in all areas of life, his clear words and his warm and sincere manner, he won a place in the hearts of his comrades. He fought until his last breath and, on 15 September, together with Botan, fell as martyrs," said the HPG.

Botan Osyan

Botan Osyan was born in Siirt-Perwarî. Because his family was close to the Kurdish movement, he was interested from an early age in the freedom struggle that the guerrillas were waging in the nearby mountains. In his youth, he questioned the meaning of life and studied the philosophy of Abdullah Öcalan and the goals of the PKK. At the same time, he observed the constant attacks on the Kurdish population and wanted to do something about it.

He became active in the Kurdish youth movement and, due to his successful work, was targeted by the Turkish state, which had him arrested. Prison became a school for him, where he continued his education and became increasingly politically aware. After his release in 2019, he went to the mountains in Amed and became a guerrilla. He had been waiting for this moment for a long time, and he participated in guerrilla life with great enthusiasm. Experienced comrades helped him to settle in, and he saw how the theory he knew was put into practice.

In the five years of his life as an apoist militant in the mountains of Kurdistan, he fought selflessly and took on important tasks. The HPG declared that Botan had left an unforgettable mark on Amed.