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Newroz in İstanbul is celebrated at Bakırköy Open-Air Marketplace. The slogan of this year's Newroz is "Let's raise the resistance with Newroz spirit and win victory in Afrin."

Besides İstanbul, there are also Newroz celebrations in Turkey's southeastern provinces and districts of Diyarbakır, Urfa, Nusaybin, Cizre and Yüksekova as well as in Van, İzmir, Adana and Mersin.

Celebrators have arrived in Bakırköy

For the celebrations that started at 1 p.m., people arrived at Bakırköy Open-Air Marketplace at 12 p.m. Along the roads leading to the marketplace, there are police barricades and the police carry out body and bag searches on celebrators.

On the platform, there is a banner which reads "Newroz pîroz be" (Happy Newroz) and people are carrying colorful flags with "Newroz" written on them.

Newroz fire has been lighted

The Newroz celebrations in Bakırköy, İstanbul started with live music.

At 1.15 p.m., the celebrators stood a moment of silence for those who have lost their lives. After the protocol members came to the platform, the Newroz fire was lighted.

In the joint statement, whose Turkish version was read out by the Labor Party (EMEP) İstanbul Provincial Chair Sema Barbaros and Kurdish version by Mehmet Ali Soyal from Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) İstanbul Provincial Organization, a request for peace was made and the arrest of politicians and journalists, the State of Emergency and discharges were criticized.

HDP MP Birlik: Each one of our youngsters has turned into Kaveh the Blacksmith

In her speech that she made in Kurdish, HDP Şırnak MP Leyla Birlik extended her Newroz greetings. Starting her speech by commemorating Taybet İnan and Mehmet Tunç, who lost their lives during the curfews, Birlik said,

"We have marched for our freedom. No one can stand against this heroic people. Today, they are spilling the blood of our youngsters in Afrin. Each olive piece is raising the freedom. The blood spillers should know this well: Each one of our youngsters has turned into Kaveh the Blacksmith in the face of the bloodsucker Dahek.

"Newroz is the new day. Newroz is a wish for free days. We say fraternity; but, they do not accept it. They say, 'We will murder your children and mothers.' When did this heroic people give in?

"Look at Mehmet Tunç. Your tanks, your cannons cannot stand against this people. We know that freedom is not easy. It is hard and demanding. As [Kurdistan Workers' Party's (PKK) imprisoned leader Abdullah] Öcalan also said, either freedom or we will die an honorable death.

Newroz message from politicians in jail

Nevin Kılay from HDP İstanbul Provincial organization read out the Newroz message sent by the politicians in jail, Leyla Güven, Mehmet Aslan, Figen Yüksekdağ, Selahattin Demirtaş, Sebahat Tuncel, İdris Baluken and Ayla Akat Ata.

In the message, it was stated, "History will honor not the barbarians that have demolished the statue of Kaveh the Blacksmith, but the oppressed who resisted like Kaveh the Blacksmith. You, who are the name of hope, democracy and freedom!"

Participants of Newroz celebrations in İstanbul

Among those who came to Bakırköy to celebrate the Newroz were:

The Peoples' Democratic Congress (HDK) Co-Spokesperson Kılıç Koçyiğit, Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Co-Chair Sezai Temelli, HDP Şırnak MP Leyla Birlik, Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey (DİSK) Chair Kani Beko, Peoples' Houses Co-Chair Nuri Günay, Labour Party (EMEP) Central Executive Committee Member Levent Tüzel, the mother of Berkin Elvan, who was killed during Gezi resistance, Gülsüm Elvan, the mother of Suphi Nejat Ağırnaslı, who lost his life during Rojava resistance, Nuran Ağırnaslı, the families of those who were killed and wounded in Suruç massacre, the father of Dicle Deli, who lost her life in Ankara massacre, Faik Deli, main opposition party Republican People's Party (CHP) İstanbul Provincial Deputy Chairpersons Murat Akbaş and Güner Kuş, representatives of the Alawite Bektashi Federation.

Signatories to the Call to Newroz in İstanbul

17 organizations, among which there are political parties and non-governmental organizations, made a call to the Newroz celebrations in İstanbul with the following statement:

"In this period, when peace is needed the most in both Turkey and the world, we will be in the fields to celebrate Newroz, which is the peace, fraternity and freedom feast of peoples in Middle East and the expression of peace against war, of peoples' fraternity against chauvinism, of environment and green against pillage, of labor against exploitation, of democracy and freedom against oppression."

The political parties and organizations signatory to the call are as follows: Confederation of Public Laborers' Unions (KESK), Peoples' Democratic Congress (HDK), Labor Party (EMEP), Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), Socialist Reinstitution Party (YSGP), Greens Left Future Party (YSGP), Democratic Regions Party (DBP), Socialist Party of the Oppressed (ESP), Revolutionary Party, Socialist Solidarity Platform (SODAP), Alawite Bektashi Federation (ABF), Laborer Movement Party (EHP), Peoples' Houses, Revolutionary Movement, Democratic Circassian Initiative, Initiative Collective and Hubyar Sultan Foundation. (BK/SD)