The Kurdistan Women's Liberation Party (PAJK) Coordination released a written statement on its website on the occasion of the Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan’s birthday on April 4.

The PAJK statement reads as follows:

"We celebrate the birthday of Leader Apo (Abdullah Öcalan), who became the creator of a free life. We celebrate the new milestone of the Kurdish people, the day of the rebirth of the Kurdish woman, for all the resisting women, all the peoples of Kurdistan and the Middle East. We repeat our promise to realize the physical freedom of Leader Apo.

THE NAME OF A NEW BIRTH

In the spring of 1949, the birth of a new life took place in the land of Kurdistan. The name of the new birth was Leader Apo’s birthday. Leader Apo questioned life in his childhood. He experienced great contradictions and never let go of his dreams of reaching a free life. Leader Apo became the hope and belief for a free and equal life for Kurdish women, the people of Kurdistan and all ancient peoples living in Mesopotamia. With the birth of Leader Apo, the essence and existence were brought back to life.

In the past, women resisted against the colonial powers, the male mind and its state system in order to protect their existence, identity, and culture. Leader Apo has integrated the tradition of struggle as soul and body. He became the representation of the historical values, culture and identity of humanity. He defined the five-thousand-year-old male-dominated mentality and ideology as the greatest danger to social life and women. Leader Apo carried out a revolution of mind and conscience in his own person. He developed the paradigm, philosophy and idea of a democratic modernity, created free women and free men. For this reason, the capitalist modernist system targeted him. The conspiracy against Leader Apo mainly stems from the truth that he represents. As Kurdish women, we attribute such a meaning to the birth of Leader Apo.

WE MUST CARRY OUT THE STRUGGLE RADICALLY

As Kurdish women, we have regained our existence, identity and essence with the birth of Leader Apo. As Kurdish women, we consider ourselves more than anyone else responsible for the physical freedom of Leader Apo and we are determined to fight for it. Leader Apo’s resistance continues today for the sake of creating a free life and society with an unprecedented effort. We must work harder than ever and raise our struggle.

The life and safety of Leader Apo is in danger. Although rare talks have been taking place, this does not mean that the danger is over. Because as long as Leader Apo is kept in Imrali, this danger will remain. The hegemonic forces of capitalist civilization are waging a great war against our Leader, and this is put into practice by the AKP-MHP fascism with more dirty methods. As Kurdish women and people, we must see the reality and dangers of this war, and we must raise the struggle radically to realize the physical freedom of Leader Apo.

Leader Apo’s followers showed their determination in the Gare resistance. The combative stance of women against the male-dominated system on March 8 and our commitment to Leader Apo's line once again revealed our determination that ‘We will not accept a life without the Leader’ in the Newroz areas. We need to interpret the birthday of the Leader based on this consciousness. First of all, let's realize Leader Apo's Democratic Modernity Paradigm, philosophy and idea in our own personality and make it a new method of life as Kurdish women and people.

Our people should sow the seeds of a free life wherever they live on April 4 for Leader Apo, for our martyrs of the revolution, and for our people. Let's green the free living spaces against the enemies of humanity and colonialists and make it a gift to Leader Apo.”