A march will be held in Amara (Omerli) District of Riha's (Urfa) Xelfetî (Halfeti) district on the occasion of the 75th birthday of PKK Leader Abdullah Ocalan, who has been held under "absolute" isolation in Imralı Type F High Security Prison and has not been heard from for 37 months. Kurds, who turn their direction to Amara, where Abdullah Ocalan was born, with marches such as "Journey to the Sun" and "Freedom to the Sun" every year on April 4, also carry out sapling planting activities in every settlement they are in.

 

Relatives of prisoners and women participating in the Justice Watch held in Istanbul within the scope of the "Freedom for Abdullah Ocalan, solution to the Kurdish issue" campaign, which is launched with simultaneous statements made in 74 centers around the world on October 10, 2023, celebrated April 4 as "the day of the Kurds." They evaluated it as "rebirth".

 

'BIRTHDAY OF THE KURDS'

 

Fince Akman, one of the prisoners' relatives, said April 4 is "the birthday of the Kurds." Akman said: “Abdullah Ocalan carved the inside of a large rock and gave the Kurds the task of completing it. Nowhere in the world has anyone resisted for his people and country as much as Abdullah Ocalan. We must be worthy of this light given to us. If I can express my Kurdish identity freely in Istanbul today, it is thanks to the awareness given to us by Abdullah Ocalan. If it weren't for him, maybe I would have lived in Istanbul as a Turk, far from my own identity. That's why his birth is meaningful and important for the Kurds. I congratulate Ocalan’s birthday from here.” 

 

'WOMEN OWE IT TO ABDULLAH OCALAN'

 

Emine Aslan, who attended the Justice Watch in support, Stated that she came to Istanbul after her son Mustafa Aslan (Deniz Cudi) lost his life in the war against ISIS in Kobanê on July 11, 2014, Aslan stated that she participated in the marches to Amara for years and hosted those who came. Aslan said: “The Turkish state tried to prevent these marches every year, but the people sacrificed their lives for this. Kurds celebrated April 4 despite all the obstacles of the state. Because Mr. Abdullah Ocalan is very important for the Kurds. For this reason, April 4 is also the birthday of the Kurds."

 

Stating that Abdullah Ocalan also fought for women, Aslan said: “He showed a lot of guidance to women. If we chant 'Jin, Jiyan, Azadî' freely in the fields, we owe this to Abdullah Ocalan. He always gave priority to women. It provided women's consciousness and awakening. Therefore, April 4 is a new birth for women.”

 

'HE HELPED THE AWAKENING OF A PEOPLE'

 

Saime Tanguç, one of the prisoners' relatives, stated that she got to know the identity and language of the Kurds through Abdullah Ocalan and said: “If it were not for Abdullah Ocalan, I would have remained a woman ashamed of my identity and language when I came to Istanbul 53 years ago. I have never forgotten the reaction I encountered when I was 10 years old while shopping with my mother at the market; ‘If you don't know Turkish, don't speak’ I grew up with this marginalization. As a woman, I feel indebted and grateful to Mr. Ocalan for waking us up from this sleep."

 

Nafia Kaya, who visited the Justice Watch, said: “All Kurds need to protect Ocalan. Because he woke up a sleeping people. Thanks to him, we got to know ourselves. We used to call ourselves 'Kurmanc', but now we call ourselves 'Kurd'. Before, we couldn't speak our language because we were afraid. They are afraid of us now."

 

'PART OF THE STRUGGLE'

 

Hurinaz Tay, relative of a prisoner, reminded that there has been no news from Abdullah Ocalan for more than 3 years and continued: “Against this, protests and activities continue in prisons and everywhere. Kurds are struggling everywhere. The struggle of the Kurds is interconnected. Celebrating April 4 is a part of our struggle and that's why it is celebrated. I call on everyone to embrace this struggle.”