‘This is neither the first nor the last’

Rojhat Zîlan and Erdal Şahin, members of the Immortals Battalion, who carried out a sacrificial action against the Turkish Ministry of Interior in Ankara on 1 October 2023, gave the message ‘We are neither the first nor the last’.

The greatest theft is the theft of hope and faith. When the first ruler imposed plunder, occupation and exploitation against the oppressed, the situation then was much better than it is now. The first oppressed were much closer to freedom than in the present ‘modern’ times. Humanity recognised surrender much later, because at that time there was an understanding of either resistance or death. Fear, deception, betrayal and surrender were developed later. Therefore, today, 10 percent of the people dominate 90 percent of the people through fear, betrayal and surrender. Against this situation, Rêber Apo's (Leader Abdullah Öcalan’s) philosophy of truth revolutionised. When we look at the guerrilla today, we see fearless courage.  This courage is not only the greatest revolution, but also destroys the fear of thousands of years.

Last year's incident (sacrificial action) in the centre of Ankara was not just a military action. What the martyrs Rojhat and Erdal proved was the weakening of the empire of fear. Those who said that the ‘throne’ of the state could never be shaken saw how Erdal and Rojhat exploded the heart of the enemy with their action in their capital. Their action created the biggest revolution for people who did not accept surrender. They said, ‘We are the successors of the Zilans and we are not the first. That is why we are illuminating the way for those who follow us by taking action in your capital. Because we know that this light will increase courage and self-confidence, so we are not the last'.

Comrades Erdal and Rojhat carried out a perfect military action. They successfully travelled from the mountains of Kurdistan to the heart of Ankara without anyone hearing them. Like Simorg's story, they crossed many difficult plains and valleys. First of all, they refused to surrender at a very young age, crossed the valleys of will and faith, flew over the glittering cities and never looked back. They became parents, teachers, pioneers, true comrades and supporters to each other. They got up together, they sat together, they dreamt the same dream. They determined their lines of action together. One of them, as a part of the other, would go cold-bloodedly against the enemy.

One year has passed since the sacrifice of comrades Erdal and Rojhat. What did the Turkish state gain and lose in this one-year period? A balance sheet of this is provided in the guerrilla statements. The Turkish state has not been able to take even one step forward against the guerrilla this year and has lost power continuously. The words of the martyrs Rojhat and Erdal, who carried out the sacrificial action that burned the heart of the enemy in Ankara, ‘We are neither the first nor the last’, have once again emerged in the struggle of Serxwebûns and Ekins. The people of Turkey should look at the actions of the state, not the words of the war media, to learn these facts. Do the actions of the Turkish state resemble the actions of a successful and secure state? If they are so sure of victory, why are they in intensive traffic of enmity to the Kurdish people?

There is a saying that the closest the revolution is to victory is when fascism is experienced at the highest level. Comrades Erdal and Rojhat heralded the free days with their sacrifice action in 2023, when fascism was at the highest level.