Speaking to Radio Dengê Kurdistan about the recent developments, PKK Executive Committee Member Murat Karayılan stressed that HPG Commander Dr. Bahoz Erdal whom Turkey claims to have killed in Rojava, is alive and on his duty.

Karayılan said the Kurdish movement has discussed the matter, with some rejecting the idea that they should give an answer because Turks want so, but the majority agreeing that he should speak and reveal the truth in response to the lies. He said HPG Commander Bahoz Erdal will make a statement soon to expose these lies.

Karayılan continued; "Everyone should know that the Turkish colonialism is fighting us on the basis of three methods; intelligence, technical and psychological war. They do no more rely on their troops to confront us as they did before. They are trying to distort the things and and create a public opinion based on reflecting things differently. AKP wants to create a virtual victory for itself. They have numerous partisan media outlets spreading propaganda, in addition to assigned speakers appearing on TVs and radios. Some of these people are made professors and some others columnists. These are all telling lies and making an effort to reflect things in another way, and this scenario is led by Erdoğan who acts like the commander of this psychological war.

For instance, Turkey claims to have killed 8000 Kurdish militants recently. This is a total lie. As we stated before, the number of HPG/YPS members martyred in the last 11 months is less than 800 even. Erdoğan claims to have defeated us but this is not true. They want to get somewhere by means of lies and they want to create a public opinion accordingly."

Karayılan emphasised that the Turkish state and media spreads such lies and fabricated news to change the agenda and make it look like it is not Turkish forces but the Kurdish movement that is suffering losses in the ongoing war in Kurdistan. He cited the guerrilla actions that are becoming more comprehensive now and have today reached the point of destroying outposts completely, like the recent Cevizli gendarmerie outpost case, which the Turkish side, however, doesn't report correctly.

Karayılan also cited another case, of Şemdinli, where guerrillas hit 9 outposts and positions of Turkish forces and forced them to leave the outposts, which the Turkish media, however, reported as "17 PKK militants were killed as a result of an internal discussion and conflict", while 4 guerrillas fell a martyr during the airstrikes of Turkish jets.

"In other words, the Turkish state has built itself on Kurdistan through a chain of lies. They deny the great and historical Kurdistan. All their statements are a bunch of lies and our people shouldn't give heed to them. They claim Bahoz Erdal to be in Qamishlo. How do they know that? There is no such a thing. They furthermore claim to have killed him there. Turkish officials later changed their words and said "We will try to confirm the report on his death". They, of course, do not say "We made a mistake and told a lie".

Karayılan pointed out that the people should be cautious towards such methods of psychological war, noting that Turkey is waging 80 percent of this war against the Kurds with lies.

Karayılan stated that the society of Turkey has been transformed into an instrument at the hands of the state, and called upon the Turkish society to adopt a stance against such lies through which the state wants to achieve its goal.

Regarding the course the ongoing battle will take in the coming period, Karayılan said they will be engaged in a greater war with the occupant Turkish state. He continued, warning the village guards, their families and tribes, whom the state leaves hanging in midair, to not be deceived by this game.

"Erdoğan is waging this war for the benefits of his own Palace, and this war is getting deeper every day. He is trying to involve the village guards who should therefore act cautiously", he added.

Stressing that Erdoğan and his party AKP continue to commit crimes as they have done so far, Karayılan called upon the Kurds to sever their ties with this party and avoid speaking in the name of this party that is burning down Kurdish cities and towns in an attempt of a genocide against the Kurdish population.

Karayılan added this is a historic process when the Kurdistan Freedom Movement is attaining victory.