Preparations for the march to Amara, in Halfeti district of Urfa, tomorrow 4 April, the birthday of Kurdish people’ leader Abdullah Öcalan, who has been in isolation in Imrali F Type High Security Closed Prison for 23 years, continue.

In Van the protests and events continue for Öcalan's 73rd birthday and Free Women's Movement (Tevgera Jinên Azad-TJA) activist Şükran Şen has called everyone to attend the celebration in Amara.

"The meaning and importance of 4 April is historical for the Kurdish people and women," Şen said, adding that this date means the rebirth of the Kurdish people. She said that it is the beginning of a people who wanted to be erased from history and destroyed. “Most importantly, we can perceive it as the re-greening of a tree that is about to dry out. April 4 has gone down in history as the day the Kurds changed their destiny."

Şen continued: “Before Öcalan, there was a situation of obedient and slave women in Kurdistan. Maybe our generation did not experience this situation very much, but our mothers did. Women were having children, they were forced to work, they were subjected to violence and insulted. In other words, there was a female structure that served the current masculine mind. When Öcalan's thoughts found ground in society, women started to get to know him and claimed the struggle. Thanks to him, women found a way of free co-living, self-defense, and combating the existing male mentality. With the leadership paradigm, the 21st century has become the century of women. The most concrete example of this was the coming together of hundreds of thousands on 8 March, International Women's Day, which is celebrated every year in Kurdistan.”

Call to Amara

Inviting everyone to the celebration that will be held tomorrow in Amara, the village where Öcalan was born, Şen continued as follows: “The Kurdish people are still going to Amara, despite the problems and repression carried out by the state every year. There are millions who believe that a free society and Kurd will be possible with Öcalan. Our people once again pointed to the democratic solution of the Kurdish question in the Newroz areas. We welcome everyone to Amara to further expand our struggle.”