In its Newroz 2025 message, the KNK Executive Council underlined that Newroz is a day that has historically played a key role in Kurdish liberation movements. The statement described Newroz as a unifying occasion that brings together Kurds from different parts of Kurdistan and the diaspora, despite ongoing regional challenges and threats.
The KNK’s call is set against the backdrop of significant changes unfolding across Turkey and the broader Middle East. Abdullah Öcalan, a figure of central importance in the Kurdish Freedom Movement, has persistently advocated for a peaceful resolution to the Kurdish question. While tentative dialogue efforts have commenced between the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) movement and the Turkish state, the KNK’s statement emphasises that the ongoing Turkish military operations highlight the fragile nature of this process.
In response, the PKK has emphasised its willingness to explore every avenue for a non-violent settlement, while also maintaining a state of preparedness to defend Kurdish regions and rights should hostility prevail. The region is experiencing profound upheaval, which is manifesting in escalating regional conflicts and shifting alliances. This year’s Newroz festival thus embodies both the hope for a political resolution and the collective determination to protect existing gains.
Against this uncertain backdrop, the KNK’s message frames Newroz as a clarion call for Kurdish unity, national cohesion, and resistance. The statement invokes both Öcalan’s peace appeal and the PKK’s guarded optimism, thereby situating the festival at the nexus of contemporary struggles for recognition, autonomy, and enduring stability.
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The KNK highlighted the growing pressure on Kurdish communities, citing increased offensives by the Turkish state in Bashur and Rojava (Iraqi Kurdistan and northern Syria respectively), as well as Iranian operations in Rojhilat (Iranian Kurdistan). However, the organisation insisted that the celebrations will continue despite these efforts to suppress Kurdish identity. According to the statement, the official recognition of Newroz in certain parts of Kurdistan contrasts sharply with harsh restrictions elsewhere.
In addition, the KNK pointed to recent developments in the Middle East, including the evolving conflict that has spread to several countries and the fragile negotiations with various governments. In particular, the statement referred to a new agreement between the Autonomous Administration of Northern and Eastern Syria and the Syrian government, which for the first time recognises Kurdish rights in an official framework at the presidential level.
The KNK concluded its message by calling for renewed Kurdish unity, strengthening of national solidarity and active support for ongoing peace and dialogue efforts. It urged the Kurdish community to continue celebrating Newroz “with its true meaning and spirit of defiance”, while remaining vigilant against efforts to undermine Kurdish achievements and autonomy.
