The press centre of the People's Defense Forces (HPG) has published the names of two martyrs. Qehreman Gewda and Raqîp Tatwan fell as martyrs on 28 May in the resistance against the Turkish invasion in the Metina region of guerrilla-held Medya Defense Zones in southern Kurdistan (northern Iraq). HPG paid tribute to the martyrs as exemplary Apoist militants with great courage and outstanding skills in life and struggle. "We give our word that we will keep the memory of our precious companions alive and realise their dreams," the obituary by HPG read.

The identity details of the two guerrillas are as follows:

Qehreman Gewda

Qehreman Gewda was born in Hakkari, but grew up in a large Turkish city. He belonged to the Gewda tribe, which is known for its closeness to the Kurdish liberation movement. His family was patriotic and had to leave Kurdistan in the 1990s when the Turkish state wanted to recruit them for its paramilitary village guard units and burned down their village. Later, the family moved to the Silopi district of Şırnak. Qehreman experienced the oppression of his family and his people first-hand and became involved in the Kurdish youth movement. As this activity was not enough for him, he joined the guerrillas in 2013, thus fulfilling a childhood dream.

According to HPG, Qehreman's early days with the guerrillas were marked by great enthusiasm and inquisitiveness. He stayed in Gare for three years and, after basic training, completed several advanced courses in special combat tactics. He came to the Zap region in 2016 and went to Metina a year later. There he took part in successful actions against the enemy. During one of these actions, he was wounded, but after recovering, he returned to the combat zone with even greater determination. Parallel to his military struggle, he attached great importance to ideological education.

After further training, he went to Metina again as commander of a unit in 2021 and played a major role in the success of several actions against the Turkish invading forces. "As a young commander, he was constantly on the move, looking for ways to deal effective blows to the enemy," wrote the HPG.

Raqip Tatwan

Raqip Tatwan was born in Bitlis and had to move with his family to Izmir in western Turkey as a young child as a result of Turkey's depopulation policy. He grew up in a conservative environment and harboured the desire to fight for freedom with the guerrillas at an early age. In 2007, he took to the mountains and stayed in Xakurke for basic training. He developed into a competent fighter and went to the Zagros Mountains. In this difficult area, he took part in the front line in various actions that inflicted great losses on the Turkish army.

In 2015, he went to Garzan in Northern Kurdistan, where he demonstrated his militant personality. After that, he stayed in different areas and passed on his experience to new fighters. When the Turkish army invaded Metina in 2021, he went to the region and participated in the resistance until the moment of his death.

HPG expressed their condolences to the relatives of the martyrs and to the patriotic people of Kurdistan.