Eastern Kurdistan Defense Units (YRK) guerrilla Rêwar Melikşah talked to ANF about how he was affected by the freedom movement, the attacks against the Kurdish people and the "Dem dema azadiyê" initiative.

Guerrilla Rêwar Melikşah said that he grew up in a patriotic family in the city of Îlam in Rojhilat Kurdistan and that he had known the freedom movement since his childhood, as members of his family had joined the guerrilla ranks. Guerrilla Melikşah said that the struggle of PJAK and the Kurdish people affected him a lot and added: "Since my childhood, I was interested in the guerrilla and I was very impressed by my surroundings. But after the guerrilla Şahan Melikşah fell as a martyr, I decided to join the ranks of freedom, to avenge all Kurdistan martyrs and pick up their weapons from the ground.”

Guerrilla Melikşah continued: “Kurdistan is occupied. The invading states are using all their means to attack the people of Kurdistan and their fighters. As Kurdistan freedom guerrillas, we respond to these attacks and do not allow the enemy to expand their occupation areas. We want our people to stand up against the invaders. We know that the greatest desire of our people is freedom. This is what we have to fight for. Invading states such as Iran, Syria, Turkey and Iraq and their supporters want to destroy everything achieved by Kurds. The enemy is plundering all the beauties of Kurdistan, killing our people every day. We are fighting against these forces today. We will never allow the occupying forces to achieve their goals. Our people must be very careful against the enemy."

Drawing attention to the "Dem dema azadiyê" initiative demanding freedom for Kurdish people's leader Abdullah Öcalan, guerrilla Rêwar Melikşah said: “A philosophy was developed by the leadership for the freedom of the Middle East, especially Kurdistan. But unfortunately, we see that the invading states resort to all kinds of ways and methods to prevent the spread of this philosophy in the world. They impose a heavy isolation in order to prevent Leader Apo's [Abdullah Öcalan] philosophy to spread. Our people must stand up for the physical freedom of Kurdistan and leader Apo.”

Guerrilla Melikşah added: “Today, the entire resources of Kurdistan are under the control of the invaders and the Kurdish people are hungry and their youth are unemployed. This is done all over Kurdistan. However, Iran is working specifically on this issue. Although most of the oil is in Rojhilat, unfortunately young Kurds are dying of poverty and kolbars are being slaughtered every day at the border. The Iranian state encourages young people to use drugs. The regime has this slogan 'drink alcohol, steal, do anything, but do not get involved in politics'. Why should we not be involved in politics, why should we not know our history, why should we not learn who our enemy is and who our friends are? The Iranian regime wants to distance us from our reality. The Kurdish, Baloch and Persian people should stand against these special war policies carried out by the regime and should not accept the power that puts pressure on the people. They should unite against these attacks.”