The guerrillas have been successfully resisting Turkish attacks on the Medya Defense Zones for several years. The Turkish army had already attempted to capture Girê Cûdî in the western Zap the previous year, but failed and had to retreat in the face of guerrilla resistance. In the night between 20 and 21 July, the Turkish army again attacked the area. Journalist Dilara Nurhaq reported from the frontline about the developments in the Medya Defense Zones and analyzed the current situation in the combat zone in an interview with ANF.

Attack on Girê Cûdî aimed at expanding the occupation zone

Nurhaq said: "The latest operation has been going on for a month now. In the past year, the Turkish army had not achieved any success with its operations. Despite all the technological weapons at its disposal, it could not achieve the desired result. Due to the strong attacks carried out by the guerrillas, the Turkish army had to retreat and had significant losses. After this retreat, it prepared intensively and launched a new operation against these areas seven months later."

Dilara Nurhaq described the background of the attacks as follows: "The Turkish occupying state has identified the Kurdish freedom movement as a strategic target among all Kurdish movements and is attacking it. It is aware that it cannot expand its occupation in Kurdistan and the region as long as the PKK exists. The guerrilla areas are seen as an obstacle to the realization of the Misak-ı Milli Plan (establishing the borders of the Ottoman National Pact). Therefore, these areas are attacked. One of the crucial guerrilla areas standing in the way of Turkey’s expansionist plans is Girê Cûdî. The Turkish army launched another attack on this area, from which it had previously had to retreat. Girê Cûdî marks the border line to reach the cities in South Kurdistan and is the place where Metîna, Zap and Garê meet. So it is of great strategic importance."

Guerrillas strike back every day

Nurhaq continued: “Over the past year, the freedom guerrillas gained valuable experience in the war. The guerrillas plan their warfare based on these experiences. From the first night of the Turkish army's renewed attack, they offered great resistance and inflicted a severe blow on the occupying army. The Turkish army suffered considerable losses, especially when the troops attempted to land. In response to the occupiers' month-long attack, the guerrilla forces are conducting daily actions. They fought the occupying army with new tactics and coordinated professional operations. The attacks by the women's guerrillas YJA Star are particularly effective in this context. The women guerrillas do not leave the soldiers the opportunity to leave their position or to move. The invaders cannot leave the landing area as they are immediately attacked by the guerrillas."

The Turkish army is stuck on the Girê Cûdî

The journalist added: "The Turkish army is currently on the defensive in this area, as can be seen from the action reports of the HPG press center. Defensive attacks are the main component of the Kurdistan freedom guerrillas' tactics in this month-long war. With their effective actions, the guerrilla forces give the enemy no time to breathe. They prevent the enemy's second attack on that area from reaching its target.

In order to understand the war that the guerrillas have been waging over the past month, a few facts are important. In this new war it is of crucial importance that the freedom guerrillas of Kurdistan organize daily actions with constantly evolving tactics. Tunnel warfare and the use of mobile units in the field complement each other. The guerrillas draw their will to win from these experiences. With the new war tactics, the technological advantage of the attackers is neutralized. In particular, the YJA Star performed impressively in the fight against the invading Turkish army and once again demonstrated the power of women."

Psychological superiority of the guerrillas

Finally, Nurhaq pointed to the psychological situation of the guerrillas: "Another striking aspect in this war is that even Turkish soldiers report how the guerrillas attack their helicopters. This illustrates their poor psychological state. It is no exaggeration to say that the Turkish army is stuck in every respect. The actions of the guerrillas and their results prove this. The war will continue in full force. The guerrillas are in the lead with psychological superiority. In such conflicts, initial performance is paramount."