A revolution rises only on the shoulders of those who lay down their lives for it. A revolutionary is embraced by the working masses only to the extent that he shows that he can sacrifice everything for the cause he defends. Those whose words and essence, theory and deeds do not match each other have neither a name nor a place in the consciousness and heart of the workers-peoples. The main difference of all their comrades, especially Deniz Gezmiş, Mahir Çayan and İbrahim Kaypakkaya, the leaders of the “71 Armed Rupture”, is created here. Whatever their words were, their essence was the same. Whatever their theories were, their practices were the same.
The heroes of the “71 Armed Break” became revolutionary leaders precisely with these characteristics. They took root in the consciousness of our working peoples. They gave direction to the united revolution that developed after them.
When the Deniz were captured and put to death, the Sinans fell to the ground in Nurhak. The Mahirs, on the other hand, marched to immortality in Kızıldere, exhibiting one of the most insurmountable examples of trench comradeship, of comradeship to the death.
On March 27, 1972, a guerrilla unit consisting of comrades Mahir and Cihan quietly infiltrated the NATO Radar Base in Ordu-Ünye and took three British technicians prisoner. Their aim was to take Deniz, Yusuf and Hüseyin against these captive British technicians. The guerrillas moved quickly with their prisoners and came to the village of Kızıldere in Tokat-Niksar.
Hearing that the guerrillas were in Kızıldere, the state with its gendarmerie, MIT and other armed units laid siege to the village and started house-to-house searches. Their location is discovered. The fighting is fierce and relentless, the places are narrow and unprotected. The fascists attacked from all sides, with bombs, rifles and rockets. When the clash was over, Cihan Alptekin, Mahir Çayan, Ömer Ayna, Ertan Saruhan, Ahmet Atasoy, Saffet Alp, Hüdai Arıkan, Sinan Kazım Özüdoğru, Sabahattin Kurt, Nihat Yılmaz were murdered.
Kızıldere is a political intervention that sheds light on the revolutionary movements of Turkey and Kurdistan. Kızıldere is the essence of the United Revolutionary Movement of the Peoples. Kızıldere is the break with the bourgeois order created by the “71 Armed Break” and the uncompromising struggle to be waged against the order.
Kızıldere is Mahir, who responded to the calls to “surrender” with “We came here to die, not to surrender. The character of the current regime is fascism and there will never be surrender. Armed struggle is a necessity, there is only one way and that is revolution. Revolution means paying the price, no matter what level, no matter what position is taken, there is no positioning other than victory against the enemy.
Exactly 52 years have passed since Kızıldere. Kizildere is not just a day of commemoration. It is the road to the united revolution in Turkey and Kurdistan. It is the war-fighter line that will make the dream of liberation of millions of oppressed workers-people a reality. It is the practice of building trench comradeship with the most unbreakable bonds.
They are the blood flowers of Kızıldere, the leaders of the revolutionary struggle, the guides of the United Revolution, the strongest examples of trench comradeship.
The United Revolutionary Movement of the Peoples takes its revolutionary line and understanding of comradeship from the spirit of resistance in Kızıldere. It keeps the fire of revolution lit with blood and lives burning until victory. It continues to create the trench comradeship that will make the United Revolution a reality. It creates its successors under the leadership of the Denizs, Mahirs, Ibrahims and Mazlums. We will lead the revolutionary march they started to victory and overthrow fascism.
On the 52nd anniversary of Kızıldere, we commemorate and salute our immortalized leaders and comrades with respect and love.
KIZILDERE FIGHTERS ARE IMMORTAL!
WE WILL DEFEAT FASCISM WITH THE SPIRIT OF KIZILDERE!
FORWARD AGAINST FASCISM! FURTHER FORWARD!
HBDH Executive Committee – March 30, 2024