Demirtaş: "General Elections Bear Historic Opportunity"

Hundreds of thousands of people gathered in the Kazılçeşme district in Istanbul close to the shore of the Sea of Marara at noon on Sunday (20 March) to celebrate Newroz, the traditional holiday in Kurdish society to celbrate the Iranian new year and the arrival of spring. The celebrations were organized by the Democratic City Council (DKK) and the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP). The Newroz fire was lit by Selahattin Demirbaş, Co-Chair of the BDP.

The announcement of the DKK was read out by Tuba Güneş who called on the government to implement the road map worked out by Abdullah Öcalan, imprisoned leader of the militant Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

"Education in the mother language, bilingual life [Turkish and Kurdish], democratic autonomy and a new constitution should be implemented. This is what we are demanding. We are weaving freedom bit by bit"

Tuncel: Öcalan's freedom should be discussed

BDP Istanbul MP Sebahat Tuncel criticized Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan because he did not listen to the Kurds who gave a voice to the requests of the people in the Middle-East. "The government has to refrain from policies of war; the freedom of Öcalan has to be discussed. Let us work on a new constitution by means of peace, equality and freedom", Tuncel said.

Uras: Let's support the Democratic Block in the elections

"While we say peace and negotiations, the government answers with war and operations", said BDP Istanbul MP Ufuk Uraş. "There is a democratic autonomy that evolved from Mahmur. Let us build our future with politics instead of war. Let us support the Democratic Block in the elections".

Demirtaş: General elections 2011 are of historic importance"

BDP Co-Chair Demirtaş criticized the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), "The AKP is bothered with the number of seats, they are pursuing a bargain. We do not bargain, we want back what was stolen from us".

Demirtaş declared that the 2011 general elections would carry historic importance and called on the people to support the roof of the Democratic Block to reveal what the properties of the Constitution.

The speeches of the politicians were followed by dancing and singing performances. The celebrations in Istanbul were attended by Mehmet Öcalan, brother of imprisoned PKK leader Öcalan, İlknur Birol of the Community Centres, actor Yusuf Çetin, Labour Party (EMEP) Provincial Chair Güven Gerçek, Socialist Party of the Oppressed (ESP) Provincial Chair Hülya Gerçek, and representatives of the Turkish Peace Parliament, the Solidarity Platform for Detained Journalists and the Peace Mothers Initiative.

Newroz in Diyarbakır

Also in the Kurdish-majority cityof Diyarbakır in south-eastern Turkey, hundreds of thousands of people came together for the Newroz celebrations.

Türk: "We will stake our claim on Democratic Autonomy on 12 June"

Kurdish Politician Ahmet Türk, Co-Chair of the Democratic Society Congress, said in his speech that the Kurdish question could be solved by peaceful means and via dialogue.

"The Kurdish people laid out a route of freedom and peace. An important opportunity lies ahead of us. We can turn this opportunity into a milestone of peace. The opportunity is there. The Kurds always leave the way of peace open. Come and take the hand of the Kurds and the Leader of the Kurdish People", Türk said.

Kışanak: "Democratic Autonomy is Turkey's deliverance"

BDP Co-Chair Gültan Kışanak harshly criticized military operations in Şırnak and Bingöl in south-eastern Anatolia. He also stressed the advancements of building up a Democratic Autonomy. "The Kurdish people want to live with their own identity. A democratic Constitution must guarantee the identity of the Kurdish people. Again, the Kurdish people want education in their mother language. They want to lift all restrictions before mother languages in Turkey. We want to speak our language in all areas of life. A democratic Constitution guarantees the right to the mother language. Our third demand is a must in a democratic Constitution: our right to self-government. This people should be entitled to govern themselves; the tutelage system must be brought to an end. Democratic Autonomy is also a deliverance for Turkey". (NV/EÖ/VK)