Leader Ocalan: On August 15th, people rose again for national liberation

Leader Abdullah Ocalan, "In the beginning, the August 15th Leap was not only evaluated from a military point of view, as is done today. Its aim was to announce the Kurdish identity that has been denied historically and at present."

12 August, 2021 21:59

The August 15^th Leap is entering its 37^th anniversary. The first shots were fired under the leadership of Masoum Korkmaz (Agid), and today it has reached every corner of Kurdistan. These first shots today contribute to enlightening the peoples of the Middle East and the world.

Leader Abdullah Ocalan says about the August 15, 1984 Leap, "The most accurate expression is to define the August 15^thLeap as self-defense, a defense of the truth of a people that is to be completely eliminated. It may sound like an attack, but it is basically the vigil of people who want to say "We are people, do not destroy us". It is considered, in particular, a response to the oppression and persecution in Amed prison. In response to the cry "We will not give up our existence", and also in response to Mazloum Dogan's saying "Our voice must reach the world" and Mohamed Khairy Dormush's saying "You will not be able to deny our existence", war had to be erupted."

The fascist military coup of September 12^th turned the whole country into a large prison, especially in Amed prison, where the society was sentenced to torture, imprisonment and execution. In such circumstances, the August 15^thLeap was launched, as the establishment of the Guerilla Army (Kurdistan Liberation Forces) led by Masoum Korkmaz was declared.

Leader Abdullah Ocalan has always indicated that the August 15^th Leap stage is a very important stage for the peoples of the Middle East in general and the Kurdish people in particular.

Let us read together the assessments of Leader Abdullah Ocalan about the August 15^thLeap during different stages of the freedom revolution's history.

Leader Abdullah Ocalan says in his analyses about August 15^th, "In the beginning, the August 15^th Leap was not only evaluated from a military point of view, as is done today. Its aim was to announce the Kurdish identity that has been denied historically and presently, especially after the fascist September 12^th coup, the policy of liquidation was pursued against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), as well as against the people and in prisons. At the same time it was aimed at showing that the revolution cannot continue.The escalation of violence imposed by the authorities since the beginning of the movement and after the September 12^th coup demonstrated the need for armed defense and to wage such a leap."

The August 15^th Leap was a response to the cries from Amed Prison

Leader Abdullah Ocalan says that the August 15^th Leap was a response to the torture practiced in Amed Prison and the cries "We will not give up our existence." He adds in that, "As well as the calls of Mazloum Dogan, in which he said, "Our voice must reach the world," and the calls of Mohamed Khairy Dormush, in which he said, "You will not be able to deny our existence," as well as the insistence of Kemal Bir when he said, "The liberation of the Turkish people will be achieved through the struggle for the Kurdish people's freedom." In order to respond to these appeals, war was necessary.

The war campaign was a response to the fact that the time and era of enslavement and exploitation imposed on the people had passed, and that the time had come for a free life, facing tyrannical oligarchic forces, and in particular against the Turkish and Kurdish oligarchy. For the Kurdish people to live in a modern manner and with dignity, a sacrifice had to be made. This sacrifice was the popular war. Otherwise, we cannot be freed from the oligarchy and tyrannical forces that surround us from all four sides. If the Kurdish people wage their own war against all forms of oligarchy and tyranny, they will become a free and dignified people."

Leader Abdullah Ocalan adds, "Arrests and the fact that the arrests were carried out due to negligence opened the way to despair. This situation was intervened, and a new era in the history of the PKK, which we call the third era, was commenced, with the aim of thwarting and defeating the counter-revolution movement, and in order to spread hope and recovery again. In conjunction with the first anniversary of the August 15^th revolution, the Chief of Staff of the Turkish Army said, "This movement has been eliminated at home, and those who remain are the remnants of the sword. But this movement was able to revive itself again on the outside." In fact, this opinion was correct, and although there was a historic era inside during that period, other steps must be taken to restore life."

Leader Ocalan says, "After the eighties, the resistance and political ideological developments had a great importance in expressing the Kurdish reality. It was a historic step that led us to armed resistance and directed the people to war. In a place where everyone is forced to surrender, the voice of truth can raise. The armed struggle was shown in the strongest and most legitimate moments of truth, and this is what happened. Although it did not start well from a technical and tactical point of view, the August 15, 1984 Leap had a very wide resonance at the Kurdish level. The Kurds who wanted to feel their presence despite all the difficulties and problems began to participate steadily in the revolution. However, the August 15^th operations were a blow against the fascist colonial regime and spread and strengthened the just struggle for our homeland and our people all over the world.

Leader Ocalan continues, "At that period, no force was able to attack this struggle and legitimate operations. The August 15^th campaign was considered the first time that our party prepared itself strategically and started the course of struggle. Even if it was late and weak, it was a very large revolution campaign against the September 12^th regime that was carried out on the basis of important and future preparations in the post-prison resistance period."

Many parties evaluated and appreciated the importance of the August 15^th campaign. Leader Ocalan adds in his assessments, "The struggle in Kurdistan existed in the past, and there was the use of weapons, but the stage of return was different from all this previous struggle. It began with organization, preparation and planning in the ideological-political approach in the society whose dynamic forces were oppressed for many years. In Northern Kurdistan the people once again stood on their feet for national liberation and were in the midst of armed resistance.

It was a matter of using weapons differently from other struggles in this region. It had goals. The enemy was seen and identified. It has shown that it no longer accepts slavery, occupation and national genocide, and has gained strength and courage to enter into a new resistance against them. It was a great start, a very important beginning with awareness, planning and organization, and it was a new and modern resistance in the history of the Kurdish people's resistance. There is also the military aspect of this victory which is the first of its kind in Kurdish society, ie fighting according to modern military sciences and knowledge. This fact must be taken into account."

Leader Abdullah Ocalan points out that the August 15^th Leap has a major role on society and the world, and adds on the subject, "It has effectively revived people's hearts, and revived hopes and enthusiasm among the segments of society. Those who were hesitant and apprehensive convinced themselves that our revolution would fail. The masters of the Turkish state, the leaders of the coup in that period said, "What is left there are the remnants of the swords" and "there is no great hope for the remnants of the sword," but they were shocked, and were seriously and strongly affected by this appearance by this force."

This step showed how to achieve development in Kurdistan

Leader Ocalan adds that the August 15^th Campaign was the beginning of an organized and planned struggle, and he continues his assessment by saying, "Everyone began to seek to understand, evaluate and comprehend the situation, and after this struggle (August 15^th), they began to seek to change their policies related to Turkey. The August 15^th Resistance that was appeared after the experience of Helwan and Severk means a more vigorous struggle on the approach of prisons' resistance, the beginning of a new stage of struggle, and the beginning of the application of the party's tactical practice. Because the party has become the largest family in the face of the September 12^th regime, and it has entered an important and significant stage of operation, this is considered a very important development and a new beginning. The progress and development of organizational cadres, and the spread of war organizations in all arenas achieved from this victory. This victory explained how to achieve development in Kurdistan, where it will start, and how victory will be invented. It has proven the correctness of the party and leadership approach."

Innovation, defense and improvement achieved in the August 15^th Leap proved that great progress had been made in training the cadres who were trained in the arenas of Lebanon and Palestine. And that training and practical application have led to an important case of renewal. It is necessary here to recall Comrade Masoum Korkmaz as a representative of the party struggler who was able to implement the tactical approach of the party in the most effective way. Comrade Masoum is a symbol of the evolution of Guerrilla. The party leadership described him as a "symbol of partisanship in national liberation." He was fighting against the occupying Turkish army which means fighting against NATO. Comrade Masoum carried out an operation against the occupation, carried out a heroic operation and created the national resistance. The party leadership described this stage as "the stage of the national championship." It was a heroic movement that created the patriotic spirit and the spirit of resistance. At that stage, the patriotic spirit and the national championship flourished and revived."

D.H