April 4 is a new light of resurrection for all the peoples of the Middle East; it is a light that raises the hope for a free life, a fire that resonates in hearts full of the search for freedom. Rêber Apo [Leader Abdullah Öcalan] sacrificed his entire life in a hard struggle for the freedom of the people of the region, for democracy. For this reason, April 4, the birthday of the Leader, is defined as the birthday of all peoples who want freedom. Guerrillas Şahîn Reqa and Avareş Reqa expressed their feelings on the occasion of Öcalan’s birthday.

Şahîn Reqa: As a member of the Arab community and a follower of Leader Apo's ideas, I congratulate all the peoples who are in favor of freedom on April 4. We know that the Kurdish people have faced the most persecution and denial in the Middle East, but with the emergence of Rêber Apo, the Kurdish people marched towards freedom. This opened the way to freedom for all the peoples in the region. The democratization spreading in the Middle East today is based on the work of Rêber Apo. For the last 26 years, he has sacrificed every moment of his life in a great struggle. Today his ideas are rising everywhere. The thought of the leader is the path of the search for freedom and democracy. This idea is the only window for the Middle East to reach freedom. Before we met this idea, our view of life was very narrow and limited. But after we met Rêber Apo's ideas, we started to think not only about our own freedom but also about the freedom of all humanity.

Our understanding of comradeship and society has changed. Today we see that Leader Apo sacrificed his life for the sake of true comradeship; he is the comrade of comrades. In the Middle East, women's rights were divided into two, on the one hand by the pressure of the patriarchal mentality and, on the other, by the influence of religious dogmas. But today, the philosophy of “Jin Jiyan Azadi” [Woman, Life, Freedom] is rising in this geography and the pioneer of this is Kurdistan. Therefore, as an Arab guerrilla fighter, I say that meeting Rêber Apo was a conscientious awakening for me. My call is to all Arab youth; get to know the leader, read his books, join his truth and reach your own reality. April 4 is the birthday of all peoples who want freedom, democracy and self-government. Therefore, once again I wish a happy April 4 to all peoples.

Avareş Reqa: Happy April 4 to Rêber Apo, all comrades and peoples. Today is a very meaningful day for us as militants and for our people. April 4 is almost a historic day for me. If one wants to know oneself, to improve oneself and to fight against the existing system, one has to focus on this day. Because when one meets the practice of Rêber Apo, one realizes how valuable this practice is. Today we have come together from different backgrounds, we live and struggle together, and this is the result of years of labor. All sovereign systems are working against the unity of peoples and trying to keep them apart, but Rêber Apo has made all this futile.

That is why dozens of people sacrificed themselves when the leader was taken prisoner. The leader created a people from nothing. The PKK's 51-year struggle is the result of the labor of Rêber Apo and the martyrs. We, as Arab youth, participated in this struggle, so this day is very meaningful for us. We live and struggle together as members of different peoples within the movement. I would like to make a call to the society; let the Arab, Kurdish, Syriac, Armenian peoples live an equal life together and protect the work of Leader Apo on this basis. At the same time, all Arab youngsters in the society should educate themselves with the idea of the Democratic Nation and Rêber Apo's ideas.

Today, while the armies of the world are organized in classical forms, the number of women is usually symbolic. However, today, as the guerrillas of HPG (People’s Defense Forces) and YJA Star (Free Women’s Troops) in the mountains of Kurdistan, we are waging a great struggle shoulder to shoulder as a result of the thought and labor of Leader Apo. His aim is to build free women and we are moving forward on this basis. The leader liberated the youth from the system. Therefore, April 4 is very important for us. Therefore, we must continue our struggle with even more strength until we achieve the physical freedom of the leader. My call is to all youth; organize for the freedom of Leader Apo. Once again, happy birthday to all peoples.