In 2019, a movie called The End Will Be Spectacular (Kurdish: Ji Bo Azadiyê), directed by Ersin Çelik, was released. This film is the first full-length and professional production made in Rojava, in the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria. Perhaps the most interesting and important detail about the film is that most of the actors are fighters with the Kurdish Resistance Movement who fought against ISIS and the weapons used in the film are real. One of the actors Cihan Sever (Rûbar Şervan), who plays a Kurdish commander named Çiyager in the film, died in the clash with the Turkish armed forces (TSK) on October 27, 2019.
In short, the film was shot in order to tell the story of how the clashes in Sur, Diyarbakır started in 2015 and what happened in the region. The purpose of this article is to briefly examine various materiels, especially firearms, seen in the film. It is also worth noting that this article is in no way intended to praise or disparage any side of the conflict.
Watch the trailer for the film below:
Weapons Used by Guerrillas and Militias
Before we begin, it should be noted that since the weapons used in the film were taken from the inventory of the YPG, they naturally resemble the weapons used in Sur. Naturally, many Kurdish fighters use 7.62×39mm AK-pattern self-loading rifles. The rifles seen in the film feature fixed stocks, under-folding stocks or side-folding stocks including variants such as Chinese Type 56.
In addition to these, AKM-pattern rifles with East German or Romanian style side-folding stocks are also frequently seen being used by Kurdish fighters during the Sur conflict portrayed in the fil. This mirrors the small arms used at the time in the region quite well. Also worthy of note in Fig.2.2 is the pouch holding PG-7M or Chinese Type III warheads for the RPG-7.
It also appears that one of the fighters was carrying M16A4 rifles and at least one Serbian Zastava M05E1 type weapon. Although the Zastava M05 variants are used by YPG forces, there is no indication that they were used in Sur.
Of course, besides the AK and M4 variants, other weapons are also used by fighters. Probably the most widely used of these weapons are PK/M-patterned 7.62×54mmR general-purpose machine guns. These GPMGs are in the inventories of many armed forces in the region and the YPG are no exception. As a result they are also seen in The End Will Be Spectacular.
Like the PKM, designated marksman rifles like the 7.62×54mmR Snáyperskaya Vintóvka sistém’y Dragunóva obraz’tsá 1963 (SVD) are also present. These are usually known as ‘Kanas‘ in Turkish and Kurdish slang (same in Arabic as well). At least one marksman armed with an SVD is seen dressed in a ghillie suit in the movie.
None of the Kurdish craft-made precision rifles, the Syrian conflict has become famous for, appear in the film, but you can read more about them in Ed Nash’s article on them here.
In addition, RPG-7 type rocket launchers and PG-7V pattern rounds are among the weapons used by YPS fighters. Both the round and the launcher are among the most frequently used weapons in the Middle East.
And finally, another weapon used by the warriors is the Turkish-made shotguns, which were taken from a local gun shop in the movie. Also note that the owner of the shop is carrying a Beretta 92 pattern pistol.
These shotguns are the easiest to buy and can be found at any gun shop. They also frequently used by many groups in Turkey. The reason that they are the easiest to buy gun legally is that they are smooth bored.
Weapons Used by Security Forces
The second part of the article is the weapons used by the security forces in the movie. The death of Tahir Elçi is shown in one of the first scenes at the beginning of the movie. The cops in this scene seem to be using a CZ 75B and Beretta 92 pattern pistol.
In the following scenes, it is seen that various security forces, including the Gendarmerie, are using G3A3 type weapons. G3A3 weapon is the most common rifle in the military in Turkey. MKE also produces its own G3A3 variants called G3A7. An interesting detail here is the use of a handguard similar to Magpul production in the G3A3 type weapon used by one of the Gendarmes.
This is probably the best weapon in the movie for the security forces role. Because it is the most common weapon in the military. However, during the reenactment of the Sur Conflicts in the film, it is seen that most of the security forces used M16A4 type rifles. Although these weapons are in the inventory of the Turkish Armed Forces, they are not used much in Sur.
At the same time, it is possible to see that the AKM pattern rifle is used by the security forces. AKM rifles from time to time in real life is one of the weapons used by security forces in Turkey.
Finally, the noticeable weapon used by the security forces is the 40mm RBG-6 patterned grenade launcher. Although this grenade launcher is not used by the security forces, M32 and the 40mm TBA-6R1 (Drum Grenade Launcher), which is the copy of M32 produced by MKE, is used. In the movie, the RBG-6’s intended use may be to fill this gap.
As a result, although the weapons used in the film do not exactly match the reality, they generally reinforce the fiction. The reason why the weapons do not match exactly is that the YPG does not have the weapon used by the TSK, or it is quite possible that these TAF weapons were not reserved for the film.
However, the weapons used generally do not constitute a serious contrast.
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Is the movie available online ?