The war in the Medya Defense Areas is continuing very heavily. Turkish troops are being concentrated in Amêdî and the surrounding area in particular, and intensive attacks are taking place on the Metîna region. Since 14 April 2024, the army has been doing everything it can to make progress in the war against the freedom movement there. The Turkish army is accompanied by the South Kurdish Democratic Party of Kurdistan (KDP).

In an interview with ANF, Batûfa Çekdar from the Command Council of the Free Women’s Units (YJA Star) spoke about the development of the war in the region and the perspective of the guerrillas. Batûfa Çekdar underlined that the current invasion attempts should not be viewed separately from the developments dating back to 2019. Since then, the Turkish state has been trying to completely occupy the region. She said: "The enemy is using every possible means to wipe out the existence of free Kurds and free women. For the Turkish state, murder, arrest, torture and all attacks on our people are legitimate. Therefore, the current attacks on the guerrilla areas from Bakur [North Kurdistan] to the Medya Defense Areas are only a part of this reality. The attacks on our people and the policy of forced administration, the oppression of our people and our comrades in the prisons are a continuation of this policy of extermination. The torture system that the enemy is using against Rêber Apo [Abdullah Öcalan] in Imrali is also a consequence of this attitude. From Xakurke to Heftanîn, Avaşîn, Zap and Metîna, a tremendous struggle and resistance has been carried out against the attacks by the invading forces over the past six years. This resistance continues.

One of the areas that the Turkish occupying state is attacking particularly intensively and continuously is the Metîna region. Of course, the attacks on Metîna are not new, these attacks have been going on for four years. At the same time, the attacks on Metîna are also part of the occupying state's long-term plans for the Medya Defense Areas. Because the Metîna region is the strong bridge between the Medya Defense Areas and Bakur. Therefore, the attacks on Metîna have many purposes. The invasion attacks on this paradisiacal region began in 2021 with the attacks on the Qaşûra area."

"The Medya Defense Areas are the protection of South Kurdistan"

The YJA Star commander described the role of the Medya Defense Areas as crucial for the security of all of South Kurdistan and continued: “It is not only the Turkish state that is attacking Metîna. Metîna is the area where invasion and betrayal are most intertwined. In 2020, the Turkish state launched an invasion with the support of the KDP. The KDP tried to create the basis for all kinds of attacks for the Turkish state. The guerrillas have been in these areas for more than 30 years, protecting the borders of South Kurdistan and the people of Metîna, but the KDP and the Barzani family only aim to increase their own wealth. Therefore, they have not made any attempt to defend South Kurdistan. Instead of defending the territory of South Kurdistan, they gradually handed it over to the occupation of the Turkish state. Today, there are hundreds of bases of the Turkish occupying state in South Kurdistan. But this situation did not satisfy the Turkish state either, because it is clear that as long as the guerrillas exist, it will not be able to fully occupy South Kurdistan, no matter how many bases it establishes there. For this reason, the Turkish state and the KDP are working together and decided to occupy the Medya Defense Areas at that time."

Five invasion stages in the past five years

The YJA Star commander added: "This fact is well known. The Medya Defense Areas are the most important protective force for South Kurdistan. After the KDP took control of the roads in Metîna, the Turkish occupying state launched an attack in the spring of 2021 and stationed its troops on the Zendûra peak, on the Qaşûra line at the Koordîne peak, on the Stûna and on the Azad peak. As early as 2019, the Turkish state had captured four or five peaks on the Qaşûra Line on the border. However, in those years, the border hills on the Qaşûra Line were not on the agenda, as the greatest war and resistance took place in Heftanîn and previous occupation attacks had also taken place there. However, this does not mean that the enemy is not operating there. So, looking at 2019, if we also include the Qaşûra Line in the picture, then the Turkish state's occupation operation in this area was carried out step by step in five stages over the past five years.

The first phase involved some mountains on the border near Qaşûra. The second phase consisted of attacks on the entire Qaşûra Line. The third phase was the attack on Girê Hekarî. The fourth phase covered the Girê Ortê and the Girê Çarçêl, the Serê Golka and the Serê Metîna area. However, the guerrillas continued their resistance from Qaşûra to Çarçêl, from the Girê Ortê to Serê Metîna and Serê Golka. Every year, hundreds of actions are carried out against the occupation forces and hundreds of occupiers are killed. It is clear that this resistance will be carried out with professional guerrilla tactics and will extend over a long period of time.

The resistance, led by comrades such as Rêber, Hêjar, Sema, Azê, Nûri, Sozdar, Mardîn, Bager, Hekîm, Cesûr, Rojîn, Roza, Zîlan and Rustem, dealt heavy blows to the enemy. This war and resistance was carried out under the leadership of the martyrs. The fighters endured the heat of summer, thirst and hunger. They marched for days on foot and met the enemy in an unforgettable way."

"The people of Metîna never gave up their honorable attitude"

Batûfa Çekdar recalled how commanders like Hêjar Zana and Rêber Can resisted for 52 days with their wounded comrades in the war tunnels on the Zendûra despite having limited resources. She said: "On the one hand, they cared for the wounded, on the other hand, they continued to fight and resist. With all their strength and energy, they wanted to expand the resistance and defeat the occupiers. For this reason, heroines and heroes like them, with their will as strong as the rocks of Zendûra, left their mark on this historical era. They made history. Enemy Cobra attack helicopters were shot down on the Girê Hekarî under the leadership of commanders Azê, Nûrî and Hekîm. The tunnel war and the battle with mobile units in the field continued simultaneously. Sometimes, under the leadership of Commanders Roza, Amed, Binefş and Baran, the fighters struck in the darkness and cold of winter. They terrified and traumatized the enemy. Currently, the resistance in Metîna is carrying out a series of actions both in the war tunnels and in the field through semi-mobile units."

The guerrilla commander added: "Despite all its attacks, the Turkish state is not the force that is encircling Metîna. The main role in the occupation of Metîna is played by the treachery of the KDP, not the Turkish state. On the one hand, the KDP wanted to restrict the guerrillas' freedom of movement by blocking all routes to and from Metîna, and on the other hand, to prevent and eliminate all logistical and infrastructural opportunities. The KDP's Parastin intelligence service and the Turkish MIT intelligence service are conducting espionage among the population of the region. With these means and methods, they wanted to deal a blow to our guerrilla forces. The KDP's betrayal became part of the attacks on Metîna and created great pressure on the people of the region.

They wanted to subjugate the entire population of Metîna and their tribes in this way and thus prevent them from opposing the occupation by the Turkish state and supporting the guerrillas materially and morally. The region was to be handed over directly to the invading forces by trying to force the people to leave their villages, settlements, fields, vineyards, gardens and mountains and flee. Although there are traitors in Metîna who sell their honor for money and also some people who are in the service of the KDP, the people in general have taken a position against the Turkish invasion and the KDP's betrayal. They have not sold their honor, but have stayed on their land, in their villages and by their fields. Despite all the attacks by the Turkish state, despite the reprisals and arrests by the KDP, the people of Metîna have not given up their honorable attitude. That is why their stance against betrayal is exemplary of the stance of the free Kurds. It is the stance of a free people, free women, free men and, ultimately, a free society. It is the stance of defending one's own dignity."