The Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) Youth Assembly started the march from Amed to the village of Amara in Xelfetî (Halfeti), Urfa (Riha) to mark Abdullah Öcalan's 76th birthday. The march started on Tuesday and is carried out with the slogan "We are walking to freedom with a democratic society". The march will end in Amara, where Öcalan was born, on Friday, 4 April.

ANF spoke with the young people who participated in the march.

We will do our part

Fulya Taştan: We, young people, are marching for our Leader. We will walk all the way to Amara. We are walking to demand freedom for Leader Apo [Abdullah Öcalan]. Our only wish is for our Leader to be free. There are hundreds of thousands of Kurdish youths. We are very excited after our Leader's call. We will do whatever is necessary for our Leader's freedom.

We are walking for the freedom of our leader

Can Polat Güran: Firstly, this march is for Leader Apo. We are on the road and walking for the physical freedom of our Leader. We stand behind the call made by Leader Apo. We invite all the youth to Amara. We will complete our march despite all the obstacles.

We are very excited

Avesta Ateş: I can't wait to go to Amara. I am very excited. First of all, it is very important for us to want our Leader's freedom in this peace process. I hope our Leader will be free. We have turned our faces to the sun. We are walking towards freedom and Amara.

First day ended in Siverek

On Tuesday, the first day of the march, a large crowd gathered in the Yukarıakdibek neighborhood of the Bağlar (Rezan) district in Diyarbakır and began marching toward Urfa.

During the march, participants carried banners reading “Women and youth are the protectors of Leader Apo” and “His birthday is the day of the Kurdish people’s rebirth.” The crowd frequently chanted slogans such as “Rojbûna te pîroz be, ey Serok Apo” (“Happy birthday to you, Leader Apo”), “The youth are the devotees of Leader Apo,” and “W “Woman, life, freedom—liberate the leader Abdullah Öcalan.”

Upon reaching the Siverek district, the marchers were welcomed at Üçgen Park with ululations, applause, and chants of “Bijî Serok Apo” (“Long live Leader Apo”).

Following the welcome, the crowd continued to Tanlıkuyu Park, chanting slogans including “Rojbûna te pîroz be, ey Serok Apo,” “Jin, Jiyan, Azadî” (“Woman, Life, Freedom”), “There is no life without the Leader,” and “Bijî Serok Apo.” The first day of the march concluded with the release of doves into the sky as participants chanted “Greetings, greetings, a thousand greetings to Imralı.”