My journey to the mountains of Kurdistan is still resuming. I run up to the mountains, the pathways and the laughing faces of the guerrillas that I missed ineffably. Together with them, and at times also alone, I wander on the mountains and sip the famous smugglers' tea they brewed. I try to compose all their memories they shared with me. Their views, their words, their laughs, their sorrows. I try to compose all the legendary tales of the mountains, their cheery eyes, their lives and heroism.

Here in Xakurkê there is one name though I heard the most. Everyone who happened to talk to him was narrating the words he spoke. As for us, needless to say, we felt the urge to meet and talk with him. We set off to listen to his words with a cup of tea of the guerrillas. And thus we headed straight to Lake Lolan in the pleasant warmth of the summer sun.

After a long foot walk we eventually reached the guerrilla camp we were looking for. A guerrilla of 50 years, who was fluent in both the Kurmanji and Sorani dialects, received us as we approached them. Soon after he set a teapot on the little fire and after introducing ourselves to each other our conversation finally started rolling, as we sat there, each with a steaming cup of tea in our hands.

As it happened we learned that this 50 years old guerrilla, who welcomed us on our way, was doctor Rojvan Öcalan, the comrade we were eager to find.

Doctor Rojvan Öcalan, who joined the guerrilla ranks from Eastern Kurdistan, started the conversation with the words: "Every guerrilla has a story" and provided us an insight into his own story:

"I joined the PKK ranks in my youth. No matter how old I might have become now, my soul is exactly like those of my younger guerrilla comrades. It is not an easy task to talk about the life inside the PKK, it is a place of such beauty that one has to experience it first hand. The mountains, lakes, plains and meadows, hills, air, the gleefulness and comradeship are incomparable. To watch sunrise high on a mountain, eating meal on these mountains here, drinking a cup of water and breathing in the fresh air, is all you need. People are striving to reach for this. Because as the system wants to rip off our freedom from us, it also wants to deprive us of our mountains, air, water and bread. Also I lived for a long time in such a system. But I never conformed to the system. Years long I searched for those the system stole from us and made them vanish. Especially in a country like Iran, where Islamic capitalism is the dominant force. I never accepted that system. And the conflicts I coped with grew more and more. Those conflicts pushed me to move to the centre of capitalism. However, after I witnessed liberalism in Europe, I rejected this system that makes the people deviate from their core values and assimilates them thoroughly. And with that my inner-conflicts grew again. While wrestling with those discords, I came to know the Marksist-Leninist concept. However neither did those ideas offer me answers to the life that I was searching for. I needed another view and my quest continued."

"THE INTERNATIONAL PLOT PROMPTED ME TO LEARN THE IDEOLOGY OF LEADER APO"

Doctor Rojvan Öcalan, who fled to Europe due to the repression and violence of the Iranian state, came into contact with the people's insurgences when the International Plot against Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan took place in 1999-2000. And during ensuing demonstrations and rallies he gained knowledge of Öcalan's views.

Switching from Kurmanji to Sorani dialect in turns, Doctor Öcalan recalled those days as follows: "This quest led me to get to know Leader Apo in 1999-2000. The International Plot against Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan was protested in massive uprisings by the people in Eastern Kurdistan and in Europe. This moved me to explore the truth Leader Apo stood for. I started to read his powerful defence writings, which have the capability to free mankind. I became convinced that the only thing that could free me and my community was our Leader's ideology. I wanted to contribute on that path and on the basis of this ideology. Between 2009 and 2010 I desired to become a fighter, a participant of this idea. But it was difficult to totally sever all ties with the system I was living in. It was then when I came to understand in depth my own life, my family, the oppression and pressures against the Kurdish people and the reality of my society. I therefore soaked myself even more in that subject. I concentrated my attention on this subject and this thorough and deep expertise brought me day by day closer to the goal I had my eyes on."

THE RESISTANCE OF CENTURY: KOBANÊ

We wanted to know how he eventually reached the mountains of Kurdistan. The guerrilla doctor recalled those years with excitement and enthusiasm: "At a time that was in the grip of steadily growing fascist attacks against our people in all four parts of Kurdistan, the Resistance of Kobanê came to surface. I headed back then to Kobanê. The only thing that I am glad to have learned within the system is the medical profession. I joined this huge resistance as a doctor. I dressed the wounds of many injured comrades. Within those 5 months the love for freedom and the resistance of the fighters left a deep impact on me. I realised that this resistance was a product of a huge ideology, of a grand life. And I saw that the ideology of the Leader took shape in Rojava and in Kobanê. I wanted to become part of that free life. So based on this I betook myself to the free mountains. I received military training for the new fighters in Qandil. During that training cycle I learned the details of the Leader's philosophy, ideology and the faithfulness to the life. And I made the decision to become a fighter myself. Though I might be of advanced age, the leader's ideology does not recognise any age or whatever obstacles there are. And the free mountains are making young again."

THIS ITSELF IS LIFE

After some time we got on to his work as a doctor and asked him what difference there are between the medical profession within the system and among the guerrillas. Doctor Rojvan Öcalan gave following answer: "Within the system people only become doctors for financial reasons. They do not really care about illnesses people suffer from, neither is healing health issues one of their concerns. But being a doctor in the mountains, being a guerrilla doctor is a different world. Because in the mountains the ties to life, goals and comradeship are enormously strong, you do not want to lose your comrades. Therefore a guerrilla doctor will do all he can to treat their comrades and heal all their health problems. And your comrades are the source of your morale. One moment of their laugh, their morale, their enthusiasm become the essence of life itself. You can only conclude that this itself is the very life. And you set off to march on these high mountains."

As time came for us to depart, we embarked on the road to listen to the memories of the guerrillas and compose their tales and stories, warmed up by the excitement and fervour of guerrilla doctor Rojvan Öcalan.