During the vibrant Newroz celebrations in Diyarbakır (Amed), Turkey, Kurdish politician Leyla Zana captivated the crowd with a poignant message of peace and political autonomy. Against a backdrop of joyous celebrations, Zana highlighted the key role of imprisoned Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Öcalan in peace efforts and urged those present to once again follow his path, eliciting a resounding “yes” from the crowd.
Under the theme “Rabe, dema azadî û serkeftinê ye” (Spring, the time of freedom and victory), celebrations culminated in the recital of Öcalan’s 2013 Newroz messages, followed by Zana’s passionate speech. With local elections looming on 31 March, Zana used the occasion to criticise the mainstream political parties for taking the Kurdish vote for granted. She announced a paradigm shift towards a more autonomous exercise of Kurdish political will, rejecting the dominant narratives of both the ruling party and the main opposition.
Linking the Newroz celebrations to the wider struggle for freedom and justice, Zana invoked the spirit of the ‘Jin, Jiyan, Azadî’ (Woman, Life, Freedom) movement. Her speech underlined the interconnectedness of the Newroz celebrations with the wider search for liberation. Zana gave a poignant tribute to Öcalan and all political prisoners, echoing the prevailing sentiment for peace and love as the bedrock of a harmonious future.