The KCK Ecology Committee issued a statement to mark Abdullah Öcalan's 75th birthday and called for "an ecological struggle."

The statement said: "We celebrate the 75th birthday of Rêber Apo [Abdullah Öcalan], who offered the peoples of Kurdistan and the world the opportunity to participate in this gallant struggle and paved the way for a new, free and ecological life.

Rêber Apo, who turned the fate of the Kurdish people around, has redefined the past half-century with the struggle for freedom which he spearheaded in the leadership of the PKK. In his 75 years of life, he fitted a struggle which, otherwise, would have only developed in decades. With his thought and philosophy – all of which are dedicated to freedom – he continues to effect millions of people. The most concrete example of this can be seen in today’s situation of the Kurdish people."

The statement added: "With the guidance of Rêber Apo, the people of Kurdistan rose from their ashes and recreated themselves. With the conspiracy and solitary confinement imposed on Rêber Apo, the objective of the forces behind the international conspiracy and the fascist AKP-MHP administration is to prevent his thoughts from reaching the people. Yet, Rêber Apo took every opportunity, despite the brutal conditions of the Imrali island-prison, to deepen and share his knowledge. The prison writings he prepared and the paradigm he established during the 25-year Imrali period appeals not only to Kurds; they are of global significance. He disabled the conspiratorial forces from achieving their aim; he has fulfilled his duties and responsibilities, and done much more than what one could imagine. He was appointed by the people themselves as a leader, to which he responded with extraordinary hard work and a great struggle. He formulated a new paradigm of democracy, ecology and women’s freedom and presented it to the entire human race.

Rêber Apo is conducting the greatest struggle against the powers of capitalist modernity, who continue to threaten the future of humanity every day via exploitation and immoral practices."

The statement continued: "In the face of the ecological catastrophe brought about by capitalist forces and the estrangement between humanity and the natural world, Rêber Apo chooses to celebrate his birthday by planting trees as a way to meet and connect with the land. In this way, he criticizes and shows an alternative to the consumerist lifestyle fostered by capitalist modernity. Rêber Apo refuses to monopolize any of his accomplishments; instead, he credits humanity, the Kurdish people, and the independence cause.

Only by accepting the ecological paradigm can the new life that Rêber Apo envisioned - a restoration to social ecology - be realized. As a result, April 4 should be celebrated by preserving the land, the water, and the trees that are under constant threat from capitalist modernity, as well as by fostering ecological solidarity while creating new parks, gardens, and habitats for the members of our planet. The “tree of life” tradition, as the tradition which is practiced in Kurdistan and many other regions of the world called, must be implemented more popularly. Taking steps to meet the soil and planting a tree, is the most meaningful way to celebrate April 4."

The statement underlined that "under the principles developed by Rêber Apo, we share a distinctive heritage of struggle, ideology, perspective, and organization that holds the prospect of a new and alternative ecological movement. Thus, in the paradigm he offered as a remedy, Rêber Apo emphasized the importance of connecting the women’s liberation movement to the ecological revolution. He described all the work carried out in the name of ecology, as the work of legends. He also stated that the 21st century is the century of women. Thus, the twenty-first century – which we approach with the objective of bringing about a women’s revolution – should also be a century in which the ecological revolution gains the support it deserves. We call on all parts of society to develop the ecological struggle, to establish Rêber Apo’s paradigm for an ecological and free life; for a life which is friend to nature and where the most beautiful values meet under the ideology of Jin, Jîyan, Azadî."