Istanbul’s Yenikapı Square became a sea of colour and resistance on 23 March, an estimated one million people marked Newroz — the Kurdish festival of spring, renewal, and resistance. The 2025 celebrations were among the most significant in the city’s history, with stunning drone footage revealing the size of the crowd and the collective spirit that defined the day.
The event was organised by the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party, under the theme: ‘Free Leadership, Democratic Society’. In an official post, the DEM Party thanked the people of Istanbul for showing up in such numbers, writing:
“Our side is freedom, equality and democracy. Our path is the Third Way.”
Throughout the day, people danced the halay (known as ‘govend’ in Kurdish), lit ceremonial fires, and carried banners and flags symbolising resistance and solidarity. The celebration also included greetings to the “call of the century” — a reference to imprisoned Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan’s 27 February message, which called for peace and democratic transition in Turkey.
One of the most powerful moments came when the crowd fell silent as the voice of Abdullah Öcalan echoed across the square. A one-minute archival recording from a late 1990s Newroz message was broadcast alongside historic footage. In the message, Öcalan poetically described Newroz as a time of defiance and renewal: “No law can possess a power above the law of free life. The greatest law is the law of free life.”
📽️🔴 A powerful video message was broadcast during the Newroz celebration in Istanbul today, featuring archival footage of Abdullah Öcalan alongside a one-minute Turkish audio recording from the late 1990s.
🎙️ In the message, Öcalan described Newroz as “a flower breaking through… pic.twitter.com/Y6Sd03RGNW
— MedyaNews (@medyanews_) March 23, 2025
The Turkish government did not allow a new message from Öcalan this year, despite expectations. Organisers instead shared the historic recording, which resonated deeply. Tens of thousands listened in silence before breaking out into chants of “Biji Serok Apo!” (Long live the leader Abdullah Öcalan), a striking and emotional moment that underscored the lasting relevance of his words.
In a speech later in the day, DEM Party Co-Chair Tuncer Bakırhan directly addressed the ongoing political repression. Referring to the arrest of Istanbul’s elected mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu on 19 March, Bakırhan condemned what he termed a “civilian coup” and expressed full solidarity with both İmamoğlu and the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP). “The will of sixteen million people cannot be imprisoned,” he declared.
Bakırhan urged Turkish authorities to recognise Öcalan’s 27 February peace proposal as a historic opportunity.
“This is not a message limited to the Kurdish community,” he said. “It speaks to the entire country—women, workers, youth, pensioners and the oppressed.”
He emphasised that the government must not sabotage this opportunity through further arrests, judicial repression or the appointment of state trustees over elected officials.
“The cost of these policies is clear: economic collapse, diplomatic isolation and increasing unrest,” Bakırhan warned. “The world is watching a country that silences its own electorate.”
He concluded by calling on all democratic forces to respond to the moment with courage rather than conspiracy. “This is not merely symbolic. It is a historic opening — a path toward reconciliation and a peaceful, democratic Turkey.”
