With a vigil at the Sêmalka border crossing near Dêrik, people have been protesting for days against the way the KDP, which governs Hewlêr (Erbil), deals with the martyrs of the Kurdish liberation movement. The political leadership in southern Kurdistan (Bashur) still refuses to hand over the bodies of Tolhildan Raman and Serdem Cûdî. The guerrilla commander and the fighter were from Rojava and belonged to a seven-member HPG/YJA-Star unit that was ambushed by the KDP in Xelîfan near Hewlêr on the night of August 28-29. Five of the group were killed, and one HPG member was taken prisoner with injuries. Only HPG guerrilla Hakî Zîlan survived.

The vigil at the border crossing between western and southern Kurdistan, which was initiated by the Council of Martyrs’ Families from the Cizîrê region, has been running since October 5. The protest tent erected especially for the action is visited daily by quite a few people from various groups and organizations. 

Young people support the action

Syrian Revolutionary Youth Movement Euphrates Region co-chair Mihemed Mehmud pointed out that the invading Turkish state used the KDP in its attacks against the guerrillas and added: “The Turkish state targets the mountains of Kurdistan with chemical weapons, but the KDP does not react. This shows its betrayal of the Kurds and its partnership with the Turkish state.”

Pointing out that the support of the people of the region to the guerrillas spoiled the plans of the Turkish state, Mihemed Mehmud said: “We stand behind the tent activists. We will increase our struggle until the bodies of our martyrs are released.”

Syrian Revolutionary Youth Movement Euphrates Region Board member Mezlûm Hemo said that the crimes committed by the KDP against the guerrillas serve the interests of the invading Turkish state, and called on the KDP to abandon this attitude and hand over the bodies of the martyrs to their families.