The first fires of this year’s Kurdish New Year, also known as Newroz, have been lit in Oraman (Hewraman), a Kurdish-majority region on the Iran-Iraq border, and at the birthplace of Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan, in the village of Ömerli (Amara), in the Şanlıurfa (Riha) district of Turkey. Newroz is widely celebrated across the Middle East, with festivities typically taking place between 1 and 21 March.
Ceremonial fires were set ablaze in the village of Çeşmîder, Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), where thousands of people gathered to celebrate the cultural event. Dressed in colourful traditional costumes, they danced to Kurdish music and chanted slogans such as ‘Bijî Kurdistan’ (Long live Kurdistan) and ‘Jin, Jiyan, Azadî’ (Women, Life, Freedom).
Li Rojhilatê Kurdistanê agirê Newrozê pê xistin.
Newroza 2725 a kurdî
Hewraman – ÇeşmîderLi Rojhilat çileyekî (40 rojan) Newrozê pîroz dikin.#Newroz2725 #Newroz2025 #Newroz #JinJiyanAzadi https://t.co/KODdzv8QZf pic.twitter.com/bcfwEncRqT
— ikram Balekanî (𝓅𝒶𝓇𝑜𝒹𝓎) (@ikramBalekaniTV) March 1, 2025
The very first fire of this year’s Newroz was lit in the village of Çeşmîder in the Oraman region of Iraqi Kurdistan.
Thousands of people also gathered in Marivan (Meriwan), Iranian Kurdistan (Rojhilat), to light the Newroz fires and dance traditional Kurdish dances.
Meanwhile, Şanlıurfa’s pro-Kurdish People’s Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party Youth Assembly lit a Newroz fire in Ömerli, outside the house where Öcalan, the founder of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), grew up.
Hüseyin Arslan gave a speech on behalf of the Youth Assembly, saying that this year’s Newroz marks “freedom, peace and a democratic society”, in light of renewed hopes for a democratic resolution of the country’s Kurdish issue, following Öcalan’s recent call for PKK disarmament and political reconciliation. “Our struggle for the construction of a democratic society will continue unabated,” Arslan said.
After the statement, the group lit a fire, sang Kurdish songs and danced traditional Kurdish dances. Participants then jumped over the fire one by one, which is a traditional ritual of Newroz, and after the celebration they were welcomed by Öcalan’s brother Mehmet Öcalan in their family home.
