Female fighters from the Free Women’s Units (YJA STAR) and fighters from the People’s Defence Force (HPG) spoke about the significance of 4 April, the birthday of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Öcalan.
Ruken Cudi from YJA STAR, the female guerrilla unit of the PKK stated that the freedom of Abdullah Öcalan is one of the main goals of their struggle. “His Leadership has shown us the principles and measures for a ‘free’ life. We shall raise our struggle with our rage against the isolation of the Leadership and we have to achieve his physical freedom”, she said.
Rojda Şeval, another fighter from YJA STAR, pointed to the struggle of Abdullah Öcalan – behind Imralı’s Prison walls – for over 22 years. Şeval especially appealed to women: “Especially the women should protect the labour of Leader Apo and they need to show greater participation in the struggle”.
‘Birth of a society, birth of a new truth’
Haydar Garzan, an HPG fighter, stated that ‘4 April’ does not only represent Abdullah Öcalan’s birthday, but also the birth of the Kurdish people with a historical resistance. “He was born like a sun that shines above the Middle East. This sun heats all of the Middle East”, he said. “People have stood up against slavery and tyranny through the thoughts of Leader Apo”.
Beritan Rênas Amed, a YJA STAR fighter, stressed that Kurdish people launched their freedom fight together with Abdullah Öcalan and that is why ‘4 April’ is celebrated by millions of Kurds. Defining the birth of Abdullah Öcalan as the “birth of a society”, Amed said: “The birth of the Leadership is the birth of a society: it is the birth of a new truth. Our participation in this struggle as the guerrilla of the YJA STAR is the product of this birth”.
