People’s Defense Center (HSM) Headquarters Command issued a written message and celebrated the June 1 lunge. The message said, “We celebrate the 14th anniversary of the historic June 1 Lunge launched with the goal of a free Kurdistan and a democratic Turkey against the concept of denial and dissolution of the International Plot imposed upon the peoples of Kurdistan in the person of Leader Apo for our Leader, all our people and all the fighting forces.”

The HSM added: “We commemorate with respect and gratitude all our martyrs of the revolution who created epics of heroism in this process from the architects of the historic move comrades Erdal, Adil and Nûda to Delal Amed, and repeat our promise to them.”

The message continued: “The most important lunge of our history of struggle the Glorious Lunge of August 15 that had a great role in the preservation of our people said ‘stop’ to the genocide against the peoples of Kurdistan and exposed the Kurdish Issue. This historic lunge managed to put the reality of the Kurdish people that was covered up and ignored to the agenda in Turkey and the world. After the lunge, Leader Apo started a new process in our struggle in the 1993 Newroz and put forth the democratic solution to the Kurdish issue as a significant option. But Leader Apo’s searches for a democratic solution with the ceasefires of ’93, ’95 and ’98 were constantly met with annihilation and dissolution by the genocidal and colonialist mindset of the Turkish state. The wave of attacks against our movement and our people in the person of our Leader escalated into the international plot. Despite all, our Leader launched a new and deep rooted process on August 2, 1999. Our movement implemented a unilateral no clash process during that time, and there were no military actions taken for five years.

The fundamental reason for all this was to develop a foundation for a peaceful and democratic solution to the Kurdish issue, and a permanent peace. Leader Apo spent great efforts during those five years. Our Leader and our movement issued various declarations of a solution. But despite all these efforts, the Turkish state couldn’t give up on the colonialist and genocidal denial mindset, and continued their policies of genocide and annihilation. They insisted on continuing with the policy of dissolution, which was the purpose of the international plot. Not content with that, they aimed for total dissolution through internal operations against our movement by the hand of a treacherous gang group.

With the support of the international plot, this colonialist and genocidal mentality turned towards completing this genocidal process through the AKP that came to power in 2002 by employing even more despicable methods. In response to this, the June 1 Lunge developed by our movement basing on legitimate self-defense is a very historic move that was put into practice aiming freedom and definitive victory and continuing the August 15 resistance tradition in a new phase.

The guerrilla and popular serhildan (uprising) started with the June 1 Lunge frustrated the international plot as well as the genocidal policies and annihilation attacks of the AKP. On the basis of the resistance displayed by Leader APO against Imralı Torture System with a great will, patience and resoluteness, the resistance of our people and Kurdish politics with great sacrifices, an the historic resistance of Kurdistan women and youth in HPG ranks with Apoist spirit, has enabled the Kurdistan Freedom Struggle reach the phase of achieving a solution and result. This Kurdistan resistance that developed on the basis of Leader Apo’s paradigm has turned into a Middle Eastern revolution, and made this struggle a hope for the peoples.

Today, the Freedom Struggle that has spread to four parts of Kurdistan and the region welcomes the 15th anniversary of June 1 Lunge with a great move. With their resistance against the aggression of the fascist AKP-MHP state that targets the gains of our people in not only North Kurdistan but in all parts of Kurdistan, our people will give the necessary response to this genocidal colonialist mentality with their resistance in the North, South and Rojava (Kurdistan), and achieve their goal of Free Kurdistan and Democratic Middle East.

At the 15th year of the June 1 Lunge, in this historic phase our struggle has entered, the Kurdistan Freedom Guerrilla with 35 years of experience will uphold their missions with the Apoist self-sacrificing spirit. The philosophy of Leader Apo and the path of our heroic martyrs will always be the basic source of power for all our guerrilla forces. Kurdistan Freedom Guerrilla will turn the 15th year of June 1 Lunge to a march for Free Leader, Free Kurdistan, and achieve definitive success. We believe that the Kurdistan youth and our patriotic people will fulfill their responsibilities in this historic period, and we wish success to all our people and Kurdistan Freedom Guerrilla in the new year of struggle.”