On April 4, an event was held in the village of Qazanqaye in the Qeredax district, under the leadership of RJAK (Organisation of Free Women in Kurdistan) and the Freedom Movement (Tevgera Azadi) to mark the 73rd birthday of Öcalan.

73 saplings represent Abdullah Öcalan’s current age. RJAK member Sara Reza made a short speech during the event and said, “It is time for Öcalan's physical freedom. His birthday is the birthday of the spirit of resistance. The Kurdish leader is now 73 years old. The Kurdish people regard this day as the renewal of nature.”

“Today has a different meaning for women. The Kurdish women gained strength thanks to Öcalan's ideas. Every year, women lead the events organized to mark his birthday,” Reza added.

LABORERS PARTY CALL FOR ÖCALAN'S FREEDOM

The Kurdistan Laborers Party demanded the freedom of Öcalan in a written statement marking April 4.

“As the Kurdistan Laborers Party, we support all initiatives for the release of Öcalan and all other political prisoners. Persecution against a nation by arrests, war and destruction is very unlikely to succeed. We state that a solution to the Kurdish problem in Turkey can only be achieved through dialogue,” the statement said.

"The freedom of Mr. Öcalan is demanded by the Kurdish people in Northern Kurdistan. His physical freedom means the ending of the war in Turkey and the region,” it added.