MEDİNE MAMEDOĞLU

 Riha (Urfa)- The 76th birthday of Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan, who was born on April 4, 1949, was celebrated in the Amara neighborhood of Riha’s Xelfetî (Halfeti) district.

Tens of thousands attended the April 4th Festival held in the district on April 3-4. Women coming from different cities demanded the Turkish state to take a step for the “Call for Peace and Democratic Society” made by Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan from the prison island of Imrali on February 27, 2025.

Police blockade

Tens of thousands joining the celebration on April 4 could not find a place to stay; young people slept at the public park, women slept in the mosque in the district. Early morning on April 4, they gathered and held a march, carrying banners reading, “A thousand greetings to our leader born in Amara” and “Jin, Jiyan, Azadî (English: Women, Life, Freedom)”.

After walking for kilometers, the crowd was blocked at the entrance of the neighborhood by police. As a result of the negotiations, 90 people were allowed to enter the neighborhood of Amara, where Abdullah Öcalan was born.

NuJINHA spoke to women who attended the two-day celebration in Amara with great enthusiasm despite all the obstacles.

‘We came here for peace and freedom’

Bedriye Savcı, who came from the city of Mersin to join the celebration in Amara, drew attention to the call made by Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan and said, “This process must be carried out sincerely. We support our leader’s call. We came here for peace and freedom. “This oppression and persecution must end now. Both Kurdish and Turkish people should support this process. We must raise our voices together so that no one dies.”

‘The isolation must be lifted’

“Despite the oppression, people have gathered here with great enthusiasm,” said Xece Aslan, demanding the immediate release of the political prisoners. “We are stronger than ever,” Xece Aslan emphasized, calling on people to “rise up now”.

“The Kurdish people have suffered enormous losses for years. The isolation (imposed on Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan) must be lifted for a solution to the Kurdish question.”

‘The people should understand this process very well’

“We defend peace; however, our calls for peace have not been responded to yet,” said Gülistan Akkuş, emphasizing that Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan is “the interlocutor of this process. I came here for the birthday of Mr. Öcalan. The people should understand this process very well. Today, the people gathered and held a march here despite all the finds of oppression. The Kurdish people have demanded peace and struggled for peace for years. We should struggle more for peace.”

‘Women should advocate for peace’

The number of people attending the festival is a message and the Kurdish people will not surrender at any cost, said Filiz Can. “We are hopeful for this process. The call made by Mr. Öcalan gives us moral support. We will do our best to support the process. Today, we are here to celebrate his birthday. As women, we should advocate for peace the most because women are affected by conflicts and wars the most. His call is an opportunity for all of us and the state must take an immediate step. The isolation (imposed on Abdullah Öcalan in the prison of Imrali) must be lifted now and his physical freedom must be ensured.”

“We have no other way than peace,” said Şemsiye Acer, who attended the march in Amara, stressing that the interlocutor for a solution is Abdullah Öcalan. “His physical freedom must be ensured. All mothers must speak out and all people should join hands for peace. The Turkish state should take an immediate step for peace. The Turkish state should embrace peace to end the crisis in the country. Whatever needs to be done in order to stop this bloodshed must be done.”