Berxwedan Goyî who partook in the extensive action carried out by the guerrillas in Herekol region of Botan in 2011, said: "Every single freedom fighter is bearing in mind all the risks ahead of them and engage in battle fearlessly. This self-sacrificing spirit had the enemy suffer heavy losses. Until the enemy we face is completely defeated, the altruistic spirit of the freedom fighters will always be preserved."

Guerrilla Berxwedan Goyî told ANF his memories from the action carried out in Herekol region in 2011.

"TIME HAD COME FOR REVENGE"

"The action we carried out in Herekol was the first action I partook in. Therefore that action bears for me an important and very precious meaning. I was excited beyond words. Every guerrilla strives for being active in an area like Botan. It is in fact a years-long dream and desire of many a guerrilla, to avenge their people in such a sacred location. Since I was very well aware of the meaning the soil I lived on was carrying and the ranks in which I was fighting, I craved for becoming a militant worthy of his people. The military and ideological experience I attained in the guerrilla ranks in the course of a few years, invoked that time has finally come for me to take revenge on the enemy for my people. It was a period of people's revolutionary war. The movement issued back then the command that at every place where guerrillas were positioned actions shall be carried out. And we endeavoured to live up and act pursuant to the spirit of the process."

"EVERYONE LOYAL TO THEIR COUNTRY ARE PREPARED"

We decided to carry out an action against the Heşetê outpost. We prepared the plan of this action some days before it. I had been in the reconnaissance unit. In the coordination unit of the action was martyr Rûbar. The action was promising to become of giant proportions. Therefore many comrades from the Botan field gathered together. After hearing all views and suggestions of the comrades, the action was getting shape. The day of the action was set, and preparations began. Since we would have to go through a village, every single detail, take it from our clothes to our walking pattern, was taken minutely into consideration. Altogether 22 comrades took part in this action, which was carried out from five directions. Three flanks served as assault wings, two others as the defense.

The morale and motivation of each comrade was soaringly high. Some of our comrades who had already joined several operations before, were yet like me heavily excited. I could understand them well. As every guerrilla of the PKK is faithful and loyal to their country and people, they are ready at any time to deal blows to the enemy. The emotion and thought every guerrilla nourishes is to bring to account and take revenge. Kurdistan's freedom guerrillas who are bearer of this emotion and mindset are taking part in every action immensely enthusiastically."

AS THE ACTION GOT STARTED

Goyî stated that he was part of the assault unit in this very first action he partook in, and continued saying:

"Following all preparations, we went into action. In my unit was also comrade Azad Feluce. Until we reached the spot of action, comrade Azad was splashing over with mirth. He was commanding the defence wing. On the way he showered all comrades with morale. The assault and defence units walked together for a while, until we finally departed from each other. We were supposed to pass through a village. To not arouse the people's attention, we acted and proceeded very guardedly. With care and vigilance we reached the village. In front of us was a barb wire fence, which was an obstacle to us and which we needed to cross. One of the villagers noticed us. We called him to come and help us. The villager however, who was stricken with fear and uneasiness, froze into a pillar. When we understood that it was beyond him to come and help us, we crossed the barbed wire on our own. But now the villagers all became aware of us, and panic spread among them. On realizing that we were about to carry out an action, they gathered around us begging us not to do it. We reassured them: 'Do not worry at all, nothing will happen to you'. We told them that all our preparations were finished and we were meant to carry it through. We told them not to fear and we said: 'Only take care of your own safety, leave the rest to us'. Surely not one word of what we said to them could ease the fear and panic that gripped the villagers at that point.

"THE TURKISH SOLDIERS BECAME DISTRAUGHT AND SHOCKED"

All units positioned themselves in the points designated for them, to start off the action. We took positions close to the outpost. The soldiers inside the outposr felt some suspicion and doubts, but could not figure out what was going on at all. In accordance to our plan, the action was set in by the defence groups. We were acting alongside comrade Ronahî. We were situated a few metres behind the comrades that were about to hit the main entrance of the outpost, in order to provide them with defense. We started to hit the soldiers in the outpost with grenades and Kalashikovs. Two soldiers were killed in the first place. Another soldier saw us and gazed at us, stiffened with shock. Because he was stricken with shock and utmost stupefied he could not even bring himself to draw the rifle on his shoulder. He was killed too. One comrade who operated a B7 weapon fired a rocket. The impact of the explosion ripped off a satellite on the roof of a house. I said to my comrade: 'Did I see there a satellite?'. He laughed and replied: 'In any case it's gone, it flew into the air'. Even in the middle of the fiercest armed clashes, revolutionary laughter never faded."

"THEIR EMPLACEMENTS WERE DESTROYED, THEIR COMMANDER KILLED"

Two emplacements in the outpost were taken out. The shouts of a commander came to our ears as he instructed a soldier to use the tank. But the roaring of the commander could not bring the soldier move either, let alone use a tank. When the commander of the outpost tried to reach the tank on his own, our comrades noticed him and shot him dead. The soldiers were crying for reinforcement, what showed clearly their defeat. We stroke heavy blows to the enemy and hit the outpost hard. Our action which we commenced at 18 o'clock went on for about an hour. The comrade at the coordination desk decided at some point that we should withdraw. We went back without any losses on our part. Because we had some wounded comrades, the retreat took some time. We also faced some difficulties and strenuousness, but our priority was to get our wounded comrades safe and sound away from the scene of the action to the meeting place. And we accomplished this successfully."

Goyî stated that according to the information that reached them after the action only seven soldiers in the outpost had survived, adding: "We couldn’t clarify the number of casualties at that moment. And the enemy hid as usual the high number of their killed soldiers and the heavy loss they suffered. However they could not cover up the transfer of dozens of dead soldiers to the cities Siirt, Van and Şırnak. The movement rated the action we carried out as highly successful."

"ONE OF THOSE SOLDIERS JOINED THE GUERRILLA"

Guerrilla Berxwedan Goyî continues as follows:

"Following that action the stance of the villagers towards the guerrilla changed. Our people that witnessed the defeat of the Turkish army against the guerrilla, understood once more that the guerrillas are the beacon of hope for Kurdistan's freedom. From that village and its surroundings many young people joined the guerrilla ranks afterwards.

Some years later I got to know someone from Mardin, who had been doing his military service at that outpost when we hit it. When this friend, whom I came across haphazardly, told about the fear and psychology caused by the defeat of the Turkish soldiers during that action, he said this about himself: 'I understood then more than clearly, that I was in the wrong ranks. They had forced a weapon into my hands to make me kill those who are freeing my own people. At that time I did not fire a single bullet. Because if I had, I would not be able to look into the face of my people once again. After that action I made the decision to join the ranks of the struggle. And now I am where I should have been in the first place.' Those words of him were certainly very meaningful.

During the action in Heşetê three of our valuable comrades fell martyrs, Azad, Vejîn and Rizgar. But we are freedom fighters. Every single freedom fighter bears in mind all the risks lying ahead and engages in fights unconditionally. Those martyred comrades and all the comrades there fought the enemy with the awareness of war and desire to build a new free life. What dealt those heavy blows to the enemy and had the enemy suffer immense deadly losses was the self-sacrificing spirit of all comrades. Until the enemy we are facing gets totally defeated, the altruistic spirit of the freedom fighters of Kurdistan will always be preserved."