While the Turkish army repeatedly suffers heavy losses on the ground in all attempts to occupy the Medya Defense Areas, killer drones have been an important pillar of its occupation strategy. However, on Newroz 2024, the guerrillas announced that they had a new air defense system and documented its capabilities in a series of videos. Since then, the high-tech killer drones that the Turkish state is so proud of have been systematically shot down.
Bêrîtan Amed from the Free Women’s Units (YJA Star) spoke about the war in the Medya Defense Areas.
“The centre of the war is in Imrali”
Guerrilla Amed does not see the centre of the war in the Kurdistan region, but in Imrali, where the Kurdish people’s leader Abdullah Öcalan has been held in the most severe solitary confinement since 1999. There has been no sign of life from him for more than three years.
Guerrilla Amed said: “The Turkish occupying state is waging the hardest war against Rêber Apo [Abdullah Öcalan] on Imrali. The war has reached its most brutal and highest level there. Since the enemy failed because of Rêber Apo’s resistance, it began to intensify its attacks more and more. But this war is dragging the Turkish state further into the abysm. The result is a defeat that is felt not only militarily, but also economically and politically. The Turkish state is carrying out annihilating attacks against the guerrillas. Thermobaric, chemical and internationally banned weapons are being used. The HPG and YJA Star are providing the necessary response to this with their resistance. We learned resistance and struggle from Rêber Apo. Just as he resisted in Imrali, we are resisting in the Medya Defense Areas.”
“The drones are being shot down one by one”
Guerrilla Amed continued: “It is not possible for the Turkish state to destroy the guerrillas. Because all the technical superiority and all the vile methods are being destroyed by the guerrillas. Their planes and Cobra attack helicopters are being destroyed by the guerrillas. For this reason, the enemy is resorting to poison gas and prohibited weapons. They want to achieve success with these inhumane methods. Although the Turkish occupation army is constantly developing its war technology, the guerrillas are also finding suitable solutions.
The drones that the fascist Turkish state is so proud of are being shot down by the guerrillas. On 27 May, for example, yet another drone was destroyed by the guerrillas. Another one was destroyed on 6 June and two more in the past ten days. The Turkish state is trying to keep this secret. But everyone can now see how the guerrillas are thwarting the technology of the occupying army. The Turkish state’s killer drones and reconnaissance planes are being destroyed one after the other in the skies of Kurdistan. The Kurdistan line of resistance will always win.”