People’s Defense Center (HSM) Headquarters Command issued a written statement marking the 12th year anniversary of the June 1 Initiative, and celebrated the initiative launched by Freedom Guerillas in 2004. The HSM commemorated the contributions and sacrifice of the architects of this initiative and reiterated its determination to continue their struggle until the freedom of Kurdistan and Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Öcalan is achieved.

In its statement, the HSM said that the historic initiative of active defense launched on June 1, 2004, effectively responded to the annihilation attacks of the Turkish state after the international conspiracy and paved the way for a new period in the history of Kurdish people. The Command emphasized that the increased war capacity and the renewed tactics of the struggle of Kurdistan Freedom Guerillas spanning from Zagros Mountains to the Amanos and Black Sea regions made the solution of the Kurdish issue necessary, but the Turkish state led by the AKP tried to continue the colonial regime and used the Kurdish movement’s efforts to solve the issue through negotiations as tactical periods to delay a democratic solution. The HSM recalled that the negotiations ended once again after the meetings in İmralı and the Turkish state restarted its immoral and illegal system of torture targeting Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Öcalan, political genocide attacks against the Kurdish movement, and attacks on civilians in order to eliminate Kurdistan Freedom Guerillas.

The Command stated that the initiative marked the beginning of new periods not only in North Kurdistan but all across Kurdistan, and was transformed in the Democratic Syrian Revolution through the struggle of Rojava’s people and defense forces. The HSM described the resistance against ISIS and AKP savagery in Kobanê, Shengal, Makhmûr, Kirkuk’te, Sur, Cizre, Nusaybin and the mountains of Kurdistan as the humanity’s light of hope, and recalled the resistance of Kurdistan Freedom Guerillas against the attacks on the freedom of Kurdistan’s peoples led by the AKP since July 24. The Command described the AKP’s destruction of Kurdish towns as barbaric, colonialist, and savage policies of genocide, and said that the Freedom Guerillas and the people of Kurdistan would enhance their resistance and transform the 12th year anniversary of June 1 into a great initiative.

The HSM described the resistance of people against genocidal attacks as legitimate and said that the guerillas of Kurdistan have the strength and the will to resist any attack that may come from the state. The Command ensured that Kurdistan Freedom Guerillas would respond all colonial attacks with the Revolutionary People’s War and achieve victory.

Lastly, the HSM celebrated the anniversary of the June 1 Initiative and promised that guerillas would enhance their struggle with the spirit of martyr Çiyager in order to achieve victory on the 13th year anniversary of June 1.