This year’s Newroz celebrations, with the slogan, Rêbertiya Azad Civaka Demokratîk – (Leadership and Freedom for a Democratic Society), carry profound symbolic significance, coming in the wake of imprisoned Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan’s landmark call for peace, which has reignited hopes of ending decades of conflict in Turkey and the wider region. Participants see these gatherings not merely as cultural festivities but as critical moments to collectively voice demands for democratic reform, equality and sustainable peace.
The main Newroz celebration, held annually on 21 March, signifies the Kurdish New Year and symbolises the advent of spring. It is imbued with profound cultural and political significance, embodying for Kurdish communities and other ethnic groups themes of rebirth, aspirations to freedom and resistance against oppression.
This year’s celebrations assume particular significance in the aftermath of a message delivered on 27 February by Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Öcalan, imprisoned in Turkey. In his message, Öcalan called for democratic politics, peace and the establishment of an inclusive democratic constitution. Öcalan’s appeal for an end to armed conflict stresses the need for peaceful coexistence and the promotion of equal rights for all ethnic groups in Turkey, highlighting the pivotal role of dialogue and democratic reform in achieving these objectives.
In Bismil district in Diyarbakır (Amed) in southeast Turkey, people in traditional costume gathered early on Saturday morning, chanting Bijî Newroz (Long live Newroz) and Bijî Serok Apo (Long live our leader Öcalan). Representatives of the country’s pro-Kurdish Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party, including the MP Serhat Eren, echoed Öcalan’s call for democratic politics, equality and peace, and called on the government to act by improving the Kurdish leader’s prison conditions and engaging in dialogue.
Vibrant crowds in the Birecik (Bêrecûk) district of Şanlıurfa (Riha) echoed similar demands. The Green Left Party (YSP) MP Dilan Kunt Ayan stressed the importance of Öcalan’s initiative, calling it a “spark for democratic politics”.
The event in the Ceylanpınar (Serêkaniyê) district of Şanlıurfa honoured Kemal Kurkut, who was killed by police during previous celebrations, as well as calling for Öcalan’s release and democratic reforms.
In Uludere (Qileban) district in Şırnak (Şirnex), DEM Party spokesperson Ayşegül Doğan called for collective responsibility in supporting Öcalan’s appeal for a peaceful and inclusive society. She also called for transparent community participation and rejected secretive political manoeuvres.
In Beytüşşebap (Elkê) in Şırnak (Şirnex), DEM Party MP Mehmet Zeki İrmez described Newroz as a symbolic resistance against oppression and called for concrete state action to facilitate Öcalan’s freedom.
Celebrations in Derik (Dêrik) and Midyat (Mîdyad) in Mardin (Mêrdîn) were multi-ethnic, reinforcing Öcalan’s message of unity in diversity.
MPs in Agri’s Diyadin (Giyadîn), including the DEM Party’s Öznur Bartın, highlighted Newroz as a historic call for coexistence. Similar scenes took place in the Kop in Muş, Şemdinli (Şemzînan) in Hakkari (Colemêrg) and Tuşba (Tûşba) in Van, where strong statements were made in support of Öcalan’s peace initiative.
In Lice (Licê), Diyarbakır (Amed), the place where the first Newroz fire was symbolically lit this year, representatives such as Beritan Güneş of the DEM Party reiterated calls to accept Öcalan’s peace proposal. “We are on the threshold of a renaissance,” declared Güneş, stressing the need to mobilise communities to achieve a peaceful future.
Elsewhere, women and youth led the celebrations, reinforcing the importance of gender equality and youth activism within the broader democratic framework highlighted by Öcalan’s statements. In many places, including Şemdinli (Şemzînan) in Hakkari, participants expressed their determination to continue peaceful resistance until tangible political changes are implemented.
Newroz was also celebrated in Iraqi Kurdistan, where youth groups in the Raparin (Raperîn) area of Ranya in Sulaymaniyah (Silêmanî) called for widespread participation in forthcoming Newroz events in the Qandil mountains, where the PKK is based, highlighting the prospects for regional peace following recent agreements on Syria. Young activists explicitly linked their celebrations to wider peace efforts in the Middle East, underlining the interconnected nature of regional conflicts and solutions.
This year’s Newroz celebrations, which have started in 89 locations across Turkey, have become focal points for peace advocacy, reflecting widespread support for Öcalan’s landmark call for an end to the decades-long conflict. Participants are consistently stressing the urgent need for government action to ensure the development of inclusive, democratic institutions and the peaceful co-existence of diverse communities.
