Two Deaths at Newroz Celebrations

When the governor of Hakkari, eastern Turkey, banned a celebration organised by the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP) in the Yüksekova district on Sunday (23 March), there were riots.

Yüksekova: 1 dead, 21 detained 

20-year old Ikbal Yasar was shot in the chest during the riots and died in Yüksekova state hospital. 25 others, 10 of them police officers, were injured, and 21 people were taken into custody. Four of those injured are in a critical state and were taken to Van.

During the riots, the car of DTP district leader Izzet Dara was set fire to.  In another neighbourhood, a police tank collided with a civilian car, and three people were injured slightly.

Only bakers and duty chemists were open in Yüksekova on the day, and entry into and exit out of the city centre was forbidden. Because of the riots, all the ambulances of Hakkari city and the other districts were on alert in Yüksekova, as were many health workers.

In many neighbouhoods of Yüksekova Newroz fires were relit in the evening hours and barricades were formed. Soldiers have been posted at entry points into Yüksekova town, as well as other strategic points.

Van: 1 dead, up to 150 in custody 

In Van, too, there had been a ban on Newroz celebrations, but people had disobeyed. During the ensuing riots, father-of-six Zeki Erinc, a shoe repairer, was injured and he later died in hospital. His funeral was attended by several DTP MPs and leaders.

Meanwhile, DTP Van province chair Abdurrahman Dogar and his deputy Nemci Kalcik were taken into police custody.

In all, around 53 people were injured in Van, and between 130 and 150 were taken into custody.

Istanbul: 100,000 gathered for Newroz 

On Sunday, there was a big gathering of around 100,000 people in Kazlicesme, on the outskirts of Istanbul.

While there were no riots during the Newroz celebrations there, around 53 people were taken into custody.

The celebrations were joined by DTP politicians Emine Ayna, Sabahat Tuncel and Sirri Sakik, Levent Tüzel of the Labour Party (EMEP), Tayfun Görgün of the Confederation of Revolutionary Workers’ Trade Unions (DISK), journalist Murat Celikkan, as well as Kurdish and leftist singers.

Call for a solution and end to assimilation 

According to Ayna, the co-chair of the DTP, the DTP is fighting against gender, national and class oppression. She criticised Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, saying, “Bush is not the solution for the Kurdish question, the address is Imrali (island, where PKK leader Öcalan is imprisoned).”

Ayna called on the government to listen to the latest invitation by the PKK for dialogue. She also called for democratic forces to unite under one party.

Mus MP Sakik said, “Kurds no longer accept assimilation. …We will no longer go to the mountains. We will take the mountains to the city. We don’t want guns. Democracy is possible in parliament.”

Journalist Murat Celikkan addressed the crowd with a Kurdish greeting, adding “Enough is enough.” He said that the demand for peace by the peace parliament was fair, but needed courage:

“We want everyone to live together with all kinds of differences, as brothers and sisters, against operations and village clearances, against forced migration. We are against poverty, for the speaking of mother tongues. Let us bless solutions, not death.”

EMEP chair Tüzel called for the release of all those taken into police custody during Newroz celebrations. (EZÖ/GG)

Some of the information in this article was taken from Yüksekovahaber.com and Gazete Van.