Newroz celebrated throughout Turkey

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Ahead of the grand Newroz celebration in the predominantly Kurdish-populated province of Diyarbakır, people celebrated the feast at nearly 50 locations throughout Turkey yesterday (March 20).

Van

Photo: MA

In the eastern Van province, tens of thousands of people gathered in the celebration area despite cold weather and snowfall. People chanted slogans for freedom for Abdullah Öcalan, the imprisoned leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Deputy Co-Chair Tayip Temel and the party's former co-chair, Sezai Temelli, gave speeches to the crowd after the concert of Koma Pel, a Kurdish musician.

"Newroz is a rebellion against darkness. We continue to resist the persecution of the Kurds in these lands. As we resist, we will destroy this darkness and fascism," Temelli said in his speech.

İzmir

Photo: MA

Newroz was celebrated at Gündoğdu Square in İzmir, western Turkey. Political parties and trade unions entered the square in a cortege with their banners and placards.

Women carried photographs of Deniz Poyraz, a HDP worker who was killed in an armed assault on the party's provincial office in İzmir.

Hakkari

Photo: MA

In Hakkari, the fire of Newroz was lit in the foothills of Mount Sümbül. Along with HDP flags, banners that read, "HDP is the people, it cannot be silenced," "Semra Güzel is the will of the people," "Don't remain silent, don't be a party to this crime," and "Freedom for ill prisoners" were hung in the area.

Mardin

Photo: MA

In Mardin, celebrations began in Kızıltepe district on Saturday and continued in Derik yesterday.

Ahmet Türk, who was dismissed by the government as the mayor of Mardin five months after his election in 2019, gave a speech at the event.

"Those who deny the Kurdish politics will be defeated," Türk remarked. "There is no struggle without a price. For this reason, we need to determine our struggle, will, and stance clearly. This state, this oppressive government are doing their jobs. We should expand our struggle for freedom."

Ankara

Photo: MA

People gathered in Anıtpark in the capital city. Two checkpoints were set up at the entrance of the park. Women wearing Kurdish local clothes entered the area with ululations.

Banners that read "Happy Newroz" in Kurdish and Turkish were hung in the area. People chanted slogans, "Bijî Newroz," (Long live Newroz) "Newroz piroz be" (Happy Newroz) and "Biji berxwedana zindana" (Long live the resistance in prisons).

Newroz was also celebrated in the provinces of Adıyaman, Malatya and the Elbistan district of Maraş. In Malatya, a banner with the photograph of Kemal Kurkut, a university student who was shot dead by the police during Newroz celebrations in Diyarakır, was hung. (RT/VK)