ANKARA - HDK youth participating in the Amara march emphasised that the youth is the leading force to socialise Abdullah Öcalan's "Call for Peace and Democratic Society". 

 

Peoples' Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party Youth Assembly organised a 4-day march to the rural neighbourhood of Amara in the Xelfetî (Halfeti) district of Riha (Urfa) on 1 April, on the 76th birthday of Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan. The march, which started in Amed (Diyarbakır) with the slogan "We are walking to freedom with a democratic society", ended in Amara on 4 April. 

 

Peoples' Democratic Congress (HDK) Youth Assembly members Şevval Çaşurluk and Reşo Birhat, who were among the 76 people leading the march, emphasised that their main demand is the physical freedom of Abdullah Öcalan. 

 

'WE WILL ORGANISE, WE WILL LEAD'

 

Şevval Çaşurluk pointed to Öcalan's "Call for Peace and Democratic Society" announced on 27 February and said, "Youth sees itself as the founding subject of democratic society. The youth sees itself as a pioneer in order to socialise this call." 

 

 

Pointing out that they started their march in Şêx Seîd (Sheikh Said) Square, Şevval Çaşurluk said, "Şex Seîd, the pioneer of the rebellion that has a great place in the memory of the Kurdish society, was executed in this square. As youth, we wanted to revive that awakening with this march."

 

Referring to Abdullah Öcalan's message read on 4 April, Şevval Çaşurluk said, "As youth, we have taken over this march. This march will continue until honourable peace is achieved. We will continue to lead it as youth. In this sense, we take Mr Abdullah Öcalan's criticism exactly and we feel that we are in a position of self-criticism. In our future work, we will respond to this self-criticism by organising in practice. We will be in a place where we organise not only the youth but also the society and lead a new life."

 

Şevval Çaşurluk stated that the march was led by women. Şevval Çaşurluk said that police violence was also experienced during this march and added, "Today, in the Saraçhane protests and in the protests at universities, women are the first to be targeted and subjected to strip search torture. Likewise, when we marched to Amara, the mothers were at the forefront and they were affected by police violence. We were subjected to a very heavy intervention at the entrance of Halfeti. However, women were at the forefront of the resistance."

 

'ALL PRISONERS MUST BE RELEASED'

 

Reşo Birhat said that social change and transformation can only be possible with the youth. Reşo Birhat said, "We realised our duty as youth and that is why we organised such a march. Öcalan's isolation means that all Kurdish people are under isolation. The liberation of Mr Abdullah Öcalan will open a space of liberation for all peoples. Therefore we are aware that no truth can be reached until the isolation is overthrown and a democratic system is built. The isolation on Mr Abdullah Öcalan must be lifted and all political prisoners must be released. We need to put the necessary work in front of us in order to ensure the organisation of this and the functioning of democracy."

 

 

Birhat added, "We need to struggle with all our strength and in all areas. They wanted to disperse the mass in order to reduce our motivation during the march. But they could not defeat neither the motivation of the youth nor the unity and solidarity of the people."