ROJAVA – People’s Defense Units (YPG) Commander Hesen Qamişlo told ANF about HPG Command Council Member Martyr Fazıl Botan, his work and leadership in the Rojava Revolution.
How did you know Martyr Fazıl Botan? What were its distinctive features?
First of all, we respectfully commemorate the great Commander Heval Fazıl Botan, who made great efforts in the struggle for freedom with his struggle and life. We can express Heval Fazıl with his pioneering lifestyle, humble life, self-sacrifice, true companionship and honest friendship. Heval Fazıl participated in the struggle for freedom with modesty, without any personal concerns or hesitation. His whole life was a struggle. As Heval Cemal (PKK Executive Committee Member Murat Karayılan) said in his interview, ‘Heval Fazıl was like a dervish of the PKK and the freedom struggle.’ It really was. No day in his life, when he looked at his stance, attire, there was nothing that would make him separate from his structure. On the contrary, his whole life and mobility structure was for his friends. He was loved for that too. PKK always in difficult places, He led and commanded the YPG in Rojava, as he commanded ARGK and HPG. His structure and interest in his fellow fighters were exemplary in our power.
With his practice, morale, enthusiasm, and all kinds of great interest in his fighters in his more than 34 years of combat life, his positioning, tactics-style, defense details and so on. She was known for knowing all the details in life. It is a prime example in many ways. I’ve known for years. Let me give an example; I’ve never heard of Heval Fazil being raided in practice. Because he has a lot of control over the details. Wherever he was, he knew its geography well. He integrated his experiences in the freedom struggle with himself. For this, he took precautions according to wherever he was.
IT HAS IMAGE EVERYWHERE
Friends who were practically beside Heval Fazil on the battlefield were comfortable. They knew that Heval Fazil was taking precautions. He had taken the security measure for all the warriors with him. The build’s trust in its commander is an important thing in war. The entire structure under his command was comfortable in every way with him. Today, we know that Heval Fazıl created the cornerstone of defense, positioning and tunnels in the war waged in the Kurdistan mountains in Zap, Avaşin and Metina. Travel around Rojava and you will find traces of Heval Fazil in many places. When you visit our old fronts up to Til Hemis, Til Berak, Serêkaniyê and Til Temir, you will see that their memories are alive. He played a great role in the formation of the forts, ditches and defensive fronts he built. In fact, he also gave these warriors faith in how to defend themselves and fight. He did not know money. It had nothing to do with money. Friends sometimes say: “Open Heval Fazil’s bag. Maybe you’ll see things from 1988-1989.” It was all about spirituality. For him, too, he was a legendary great commander.
When did it go to Rojava? What was its impact on the YPG and its role in the fight against ISIS?
During our struggle in Til Hemis and Til Berak, Heval Fazıl went to Rojava during a period when there were attacks in many places such as Serêkaniyê and Cezaa, where we lost our lives. Heval Fazıl had a decisive role in the fight against ISIS and in the Rojava Revolution. He had been to Rojava before. He remained in the leadership field. Rojava has a spiritual aspect for all revolutionary and Apoist militants. You couldn’t keep Heval Fazil alone. Wherever there was an attack, he was there. He was not alone, he had a team. He had the power to intervene. He intervened wherever there was difficulty and troublesome situation. He took part in very important moves and made his plans. He showed how to fight guerrilla style with great power.
Let me tell you a moment; One night in winter, while we were in a meeting, a point called Ebu Qesayib near Til Hemis was attacked. It was a hill that came and went between us and ISIS many times. They attacked the hill in the dark of night and 4 of our friends were martyred. We had power around the hill, but the hill was in their hands. We got news at the meeting. We left right away. Heval Fazil came after us. At first we said, ‘We must not allow the enemy to be positioned on this hill. They are not settled yet. In fact, we should attack tonight, the enemy should not stay there,’ he said. The attack was new, our opportunities were not available. It was not cohesive in strength. We left it the next day. We made a plan. Of course, heval Fazil was prominent in the planning. It was such a plan that there was an ambush on one side, a raid on the other, harassment on the other, and mines on the other. There was such a plan that we positioned all our forces around the hill. Heval Fazil was coordinating. The next night, our strength was activated. 66-67 ISIS gangs were killed in that action. That action was instrumental in the enemy not attacking or even firing harassment on that line until the move to liberate Til Hemis.
It was an example of the synthesis of guerrilla tactics and style with great power on the plain. Almost a defensive fortress was created along the Rojava border, Heval Fazil did it. This is how the entire SDF and YPG structure knows Heval Fazil. Every revolutionary, every fighter, everybody who had just joined the YPG struggle was comfortable with him. Despite his years of involvement in the struggle and his experience, he still took the opinions of his surroundings. If he went to a hill, a village, a position, he would argue with his friends there. He took the views of ‘How should we do it, how should we move, what style should we hit, what is the enemy’s action’ and participated in detail. Most of the YPG structure knew Heval Fazil. He was an exemplary commander. He was involved in all the moves. Many of our fighters and commanders that exist now are indebted to Heval Fazıl for living, executing the guerrilla tactics and style of warfare. He left an important mark here.
Can you talk a little bit about the process he was injured in?
During the time Heval Fazıl was injured, we were in the second Til Hemis liberation move. Heval Fazil was looking at our front. A few days after the start of the operation, ISIS attacked Til Temir. The attack was huge. The reason for the attack was to reduce the burden of the gangs in Til Hemis and Til Berak. ISIS had such a style. When we made a move in a place, he would attack in retaliation. They launched a comprehensive attack on Til Temir. Til Temir is a place where mostly Assyrians live. On this occasion, heval Fazıl’s struggle was not only for the Kurds, but also for all the Assyrian and Assyrian people living in peace and security in Til Temir today. Heval Fazıl has a great contribution in this. Not only in the defensive position, but also in the offensive against ISIS. Step by step, ISIS’ attacks there were broken down, and friends started to attack them.
Thus, Til Temir and the surrounding villages were liberated and controlled. The defensive front was created, its power was reorganized. If our people in Til Temir are living in peace today, it is thanks to the efforts of heval Fazil. Even when he was injured and went to treatment, all his thoughts were on this place. He was asking about the places where the war took place. Despite his severely injured condition, he had nothing on his mind other than his friends, the war, and the situation here. His old friends, whom he knew in the field, were constantly asking.
How to protect your struggle?
The people of Rojava should know this. If Rojava Kurdistan is heard and taken as an example by the whole world today, it is thanks to heroes like Heval Fazıl, it owes it to them. The Rojava Revolution is the legacy of the sacrifices of hundreds of heroes of this people, such as heval Fazıl Botan, heval Rûbar Qamişlo, heval Devrim, heval Masiro and heval Arîn Mîrxan. Heval Fazil was a great loss for the Rojava and Kurdistan revolution. As warriors and revolutionaries of Kurdistan, we should commemorate heval Fazıl and follow him. My condolences to the Kurdish people, all oppressed peoples and their friends. I bow respectfully before their memory.
