The 1 June offensive in 2004 represents a historic turning point for the Kurdish freedom movement. After a deep crisis, attempts to dismantle the PKK from within and a comprehensive restructuring, a renewed PKK entered the stage of world history on 1 June 2004 with a wave of actions. Five years earlier, the crisis of the freedom movement had been heralded by the abduction of its leader Abdullah Öcalan in an international conspiracy. Subsequently, patriarchal, pro-imperialist, feudalist forces tried to hijack and destroy the freedom movement. However, through the resistance of the Kurdish movement in the mountains and of Abdullah Öcalan on the prison island of Imrali, the PKK was able to renew itself and spread a genuine, anti-authoritarian alternative to capitalist modernity with the model of democratic confederalism. Thus, 1 June became an important commemoration day for the Kurdish freedom movement.

The Central Headquarters of the People's Defence Forces (HSM) released a statement on the occasion of the 1 June 2004 offensive, which includes the following:

“We congratulate the 20th anniversary of the historic 1 June Offensive, which developed under the leadership of the Kurdistan Freedom Guerrilla, to Rêber Apo [Leader Abdullah Öcalan], the freedom leader of all oppressed peoples, women and youth, to our valuable Saturday Mothers and martyrs’ families who embraced and raised the struggle of our martyrs, to our patriotic people, friends of our people and all comrades in the person of Martyr Mehmet Yıldırım, who became the symbol of sacrificial patriotism.

With the 15 February 1999 International Conspiracy, the concept of destroying the Kurdistan Freedom Movement, which is the guarantee of the free future of our people and our people, was put into practice. Rêber Apo gave the biggest answer to the conspirators with the Democratic, Ecological and Women's Liberationist paradigm he developed despite great impossibilities. Our leader created a great opportunity for the development of a democratic solution in Turkey on the basis of the new paradigm and a 5-year period of non-conflict was experienced. However, despite our leader’s efforts for a democratic solution, the colonialist Turkish state insisted on its policies of denial and annihilation and intensified its genocide policies against our people. In response to all these attacks, our movement launched the Historic 1 June Offensive in 2004, which means the second 15 August Breakthrough, and gave the necessary historic response to the international conspiratorial forces, the colonialist Turkish state and the treasonous liquidators who aimed to destroy our struggle from within.

From the day the historic 1 June Offensive was launched until now, a relentless struggle has been waged breathlessly, and the colonialist genocidal Turkish state's aim to subject our people to genocide and liquidate our Movement has been left inconclusive. The stage our struggle has reached today has once again proved how appropriate and correct the Historical 1 June Offensive was. It has been clearly understood that without relentless struggle in the fields of ideological, organisational, cultural, political, social, self-defence and armed struggle in Kurdistan, genocidal attacks cannot be prevented and our people cannot have the opportunity to live freely.

The conspiratorial forces, who could not achieve their dirty goals and could not destroy our Movement and the Free Kurdish will, are trying to realise their goal of occupation and genocide today, relying on a narrow group of collaborators and betrayers to achieve their goals. However, at the current stage, the true face of collaborationist treason has been understood by our people, measures have been developed against liquidationist understandings, and a level has been reached that can confront and fight against the genocidal enemy in every field. The fact that our movement and our people are united monolithically on the Apoist line and struggle unwaveringly by taking all the difficulties into consideration, not stepping back and raising the revolutionary people's war based on Rêber Apo's historic resistance in Imrali, is overwhelming our enemies. For this reason, they attack the Kurdish people, their entire existence in every field and the Kurdistan Freedom Guerrilla by using all inhuman orientations and banned weapons.

 The Kurdistan Freedom Guerrilla, who have professionalised on the basis of the Revolutionary People's War, are demonstrating the PKK's invincibility by maximising the Apoist sacrificial spirit, sacrificially defending every inch of Kurdistan and strongly welcoming the Historic 1 June Offensive. As the Kurdistan Freedom Guerrillas, the sacrificial army of Rêber Apo, we state that we have the strength and determination to fulfil our responsibility in our revolutionary people's war for the freedom of our people by sacrificially fighting in the Apoist line, as we have done so far. On this basis, we once again congratulate all our people, friends and comrades in all areas of struggle on the 20th anniversary of the 1 June Offensive.”