Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Ocalan’s birthday April 4 was celebrated in the guerrilla zones.

HPG Commander Orhan Bingol said, “Leader Apo has rejected power mongering, slavery and exploitation throughout his life and has never thought of himself or lived for himself for a single day.”

Bingol said April 4 is significant not just for the Kurdish Freedom Movement but for the Kurdish people and all the oppressed peoples of the world, and continued: “Leader Apo is not just the leader of a movement, a party or just the Kurdish people. Leader Apo’s philosophy, ideology and ideas have taken root in the hearts of all humanity. He has fought nonstop for 46 years for all the peoples of Kurdistan and the world, and taken the struggle to this level. With his philosophy, he embraces not just one people or one nation but the whole world.”

Bingol said there are people who leave their mark on world history: “Millions of people follow the Leader, follow his path. Leader Apo is a light, he is life, a lifestyle, an existence and a resistance.”

Bingol added that everybody should speak up against the absolute isolation imposed upon Ocalan. Bingol also spoke about the “Break the Isolation, Tear Down Fascism, Free Kurdistan” move and the guerrillas chanted, “Biji Serok Apo”, “Bi can, bi xwin em bi terene ey Serok”, “Be Serok jiyan na be”, “Jin, jiyan, azadi” and “Biji PKK” after his speech.

The guerrillas planted trees as per tradition every April 4, and danced the halay.

Some guerrillas spoke to the ANF during the celebrations and voiced their views:

“A SOCIETY CONSIDERED DEAD AND GONE OPENED ITS EYES TO LIFE”

YJA Star guerrilla Ruken Kocer: We can’t consider April 4 like the day a human being was born. On that day, a society considered dead and gone opened its eyes to life in the person of Leader Apo. As such, it is the representation of the birth of a nation. They can see that there is a devotion developing throughout the world for the Leader’s ideology, that is why the Turkish state is afraid of the Leader’s ideology and ideas. One of the reasons for the strict isolation imposed upon our Leader is this. They want to keep a whole society, and in truth the values of humanity, under isolation through our Leader. We will make sure our Leader achieves free living and working conditions.

“THE BIRTH OF OUR LEADER IS THE RESURRECTION OF A PEOPLE”

HPG guerrilla Baz Pirdogan: This sacred day has great meaning and excitement for us. The birth of our Leader is the resurrection of a people, and all the saplings we plant today will bloom in the spring, bringing freedom.

“OUR SAPLINGS REPRESENT THE GREAT RESISTANCE”

YJA Star guerilla Sara Cudi: The saplings we plant now represent the great resistance in Imrali. I’m calling on all to raise higher the struggle of the Kurdish people, who were reborn with their resistance on this day that symbolizes our love and passion for freedom.

“APRIL 4 IS THE BIRTH OF A PEOPLE”

HPG guerrilla Dogan Zaza: First I want to celebrate our Leader’s birthday for the Kurdish people and the peoples of the Middle East. Thanks to the path our Leader paved for us and for humanity, there won’t be massacres or genocides.