A group of self-sacrificial (Fedai) guerrillas have completed their training in the mountains of Kurdistan and set off for their new locations. The graduation ceremony took place on 30 June, the anniversary of the death of Zîlan (Zeynep Kınacı), who blew herself up in a Turkish military unit in Dersim in 1996 and thus set a beacon for the Kurdish freedom movement. Zîlan's action 28 years ago gave rise to the Fedai line, the self-sacrificial fighters who collectively accept death in order to achieve their goal.

At the closing ceremony, a guerrilla commander said that Zîlan had carried out her action in response to an assassination attempt on Abdullah Öcalan in Damascus. The failed assassination attempt was an attempt to destroy the Kurdish people and the freedom movement by eliminating the PKK founder, the commander said: "But Comrade Zîlan's Fedai action sent the message that Rêber Apo[Leader Abdullah Öcalan] is not alone and that the guerrillas are behind him and are ready for anything at any time."

"We will fight like Zîlan"

The line established by Zîlan can be seen today in the resistance of the guerrillas against the Turkish occupation attacks in the Medya Defence Zones, the commander said and continued: "The daughters and sons of Kurdistan, like Zîlan, are resisting in the battle positions and repelling the enemy attacks with great courage and willpower. Our comrades in the war tunnels in Zap and Metîna are carrying out continuous actions against the constant air and ground attacks and the use of chemical weapons by the enemy. Every action in this unparalleled resistance is a message of joy to our people, and we, too, are ready to fulfill every responsibility that falls to us. Our people and our comrades in the prisons continue to be attacked. Every day people are murdered, our mothers are tortured in the streets, our youth are killed. We say to our people: you are not alone, the guerrillas are behind you. As Apoist Fedai, we are ready at any time. Wherever there is an attack on our people, we will be there. And we say to the enemy: Our people are not alone, we will fight like Zîlan and succeed like Zîlan."