The PKK pays tribute to Zeki Gürbüz as a pioneer of the united revolutionary movement in Turkey and Kurdistan and declares that the MLKP representative and Özgür Namoğlu, who fell with him in Rojava, will live on in the revolutionary struggle.
Helin Ümit issued a statement on behalf of the Central Committee of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) regarding the death of Zeki Gürbüz (Ahmet Şoreş) and Özgür Namoğlu (Firat Neval) in Rojava. The two MLKP fighters were fatally wounded by a Turkish killer drone in a village north of Hesekê in north-eastern Syria on 3 January.
In a video message on Wednesday, Helin Ümit said the following:
"We have learned to our great regret that our companion Zeki Gürbüz, member of the Central Committee of the Marxist-Leninist Communist Party (MLKP), has fallen in the revolutionary region of Rojava. We declare that we share with revolutionary feelings the mourning of the members of the Central Committee and our friends of MLKP for our comrade Zeki, and Özgür Namoğlu who fell together with him. As PKK, we communicate that we will avenge the fallen revolutionaries and continue to bring the enemies of the revolution to justice.
Comrade Zeki was one of the first of our revolutionary friends to come to the mountains of Kurdistan. At that time, the historical alliance between the revolutionaries of Turkey and Kurdistan did not exist. At the same time, Zeki's way to the mountains made the formation of the United Peoples' Revolutionary Movement (HBDH) possible. He was one of the first to pave the way for the HBDH and he was one of the most active pioneers in its practical implementation. This applies both to his practice in the Medya Defence Zones and to his subsequent revolutionary practice in the metropolises in Turkey.
We remember comrades Zeki Gürbüz and Özgür Namoğlu, who fell in Hesekê on 3 January, with revolutionary feelings of love, respect and gratitude. We declare that their memory will live on in our revolutionary struggle."
