Kurds and supporters in Germany, Switzerland and London marked Newroz with a resolute call for the freedom of Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Öcalan and a political resolution to the Kurdish problem, with vibrant festivities on Sunday.
Celebrations took place in cities including Berlin, Bonn, Erfurt, Leer, Bochum, Hamburg, Bremen, Munich, Luzern and London, where cultural and political fervour underscored the Kurdish community’s demands.
Ruken Akça, co-president of the Confederation of Kurdistan Communities of Germany (KON-MED), alongside speakers in other cities, highlighted the significance of the gatherings, urging widespread participation to “display the will of the Kurds” during major Newroz events. The celebrations, enriched with traditional music, dance and speeches, served as a platform to express solidarity and reiterate calls for Öcalan’s liberation.
Thousands of Kurds and Kurdish supporters gathered at Marienplatz for the Munich Newroz, where ‘Long Live Leader Apo’ chants remained incessant throughout the densely attended celebration, marking one of the largest Newroz gatherings in recent years.
In a compelling call for national unity during the Newroz celebrations in Luzern, Switzerland, Zübeyir Aydar, a member of the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK) Executive Council, highlighted the critical juncture faced by the Kurdish community. Aydar called for resistance against the Turkish state’s military aggressions, particularly those planned in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI).
He urged Iraq not to become complicit in what he termed the Turkish state’s genocidal war, emphasising that the struggle extended beyond the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) to a broader Turkish ambition of regional domination. Critiquing the Kurdistan Democrat Party’s (KDP) policies, Aydar underscored the importance of national unity and solidarity, pointing out that the call for freedom for Abdullah Öcalan and a political resolution to the Kurdish issue has become a global demand that can no longer be ignored.
In London, a significant Newroz gathering at Finsbury Park was dedicated to the ‘Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan, a political solution to the Kurdish question’ campaign. The event demanded Öcalan’s release and remembered those who sacrificed their lives to the Kurdish cause, featuring cultural performances and the participation of Kurdish and international political figures.
Political representatives and activists across the events emphasised Newroz as a symbol of the Kurdish struggle for freedom and dignity. The consistent message across Europe was the Kurdish aspiration for Öcalan’s freedom, regarded as pivotal to achieving peace and justice for the Kurdish people.
The gatherings across Europe not only celebrated Newroz but also brought together international supporters and politicians, showcasing the global resonance of the Kurdish struggle. Swiss Socialist Party MP Sara Wyss, Deputy Chair of Germany’s Left Party Janine Wissler and Die Linke Parliamentarian Muhlis Kocaağa were among the notable figures expressing solidarity.
“No one should be imprisoned for their beliefs. We stand with the Kurdish struggle for freedom,” said Sara Wyss, commending the Kurdish people’s resilience. Janine Wissler echoed this sentiment, emphasising, “We oppose the Turkish state’s actions against Kurds and will always fight alongside the Kurdish people for their rights.”
Muhlis Kocaağa greeted participants in Bremen on behalf of Die Linke, saying, “Newroz is a place of resistance in our people’s history. It is a rebellion. On this occasion, we celebrate our people’s Newroz, all the peoples of the Middle East’s Newroz, and the Newroz of the mountains of freedom.” At the London Newroz celebration, Lambeth Mayor Sarbaz Barznji, Enfield Mayor Suna Hurman, Labour MP Catherine West and independent MP Bambos Charalambous delivered speeches.
In Mannheim, a ceremony commemorated Ronahî (Bedriye Taş) and Bêrîvan (Nilgün Yıldırım) on the 30th anniversary of their death, marking their protest against the criminalisation of the Kurdish freedom struggle by the German state. Organised by the European Kurdish Women’s Movement (TJK-E) and attended by hundreds, including representatives from various Kurdish and allies’ organisations, the event featured speeches, a moment of silence for those who lost their lives for the Kurdish cause, and cultural performances. Speakers, including Cahîde Goyî from KOMAW and Isabel Führmann of Die Linke, paid tribute to the legacy of resistance and called for continued solidarity with the Kurdish struggle for freedom and justice.
The stories of Berivan and Ronahî symbolise the deep-rooted struggle of the Kurdish people against oppression, both in Turkey and in Germany. The collaborative stance of Germany with Turkey, especially during a period when Turkey used German-supplied tanks in its extensive military operations to forcefully evacuate the Kurdish villages, underscored a shared responsibility in the criminalisation and persecution of Kurds in Berivan’s and Ronahî’s eyes. Facing what they term genocide and unable to celebrate their cultural festivities even in exile in Germany, Ronahi and others chose to protest against German anti-Kurd policies by setting themselves ablaze during Newroz 1994 in Germany.
The Federation of Kurdish People (FED-GEL) issued a call to Kurds living in Germany to participate robustly in the Frankfurt Newroz celebration, highlighting the indomitable spirit of freedom and resistance that Newroz represents, especially in the 50th year of struggle. They urged the community to join in the major upcoming Newroz event on 23 March in Frankfurt.
The Frankfurt event, dubbed as the grand Newroz celebration in Germany, will be staged as a significant political statement against the criminalisation of Kurds and their struggle for survival and dignity in the face of Turkish policies termed genocidal, both in their homeland and in their places of refuge.
