Preparations have been completed for the Newroz ceremonies that will be held in 39 centres of Turkey on 19, 20 and 21 March this year with the motto “Her der Newroz, her dem Azadî” (“Newroz everywhere, freedom forever”). However, the Kurdish ceremony marking the arrival of spring will not be celebrated in a festive mood this year due to the great destruction caused by the 6 February earthquakes. Speakers and artists will dress in black and the government’s insufficient response to the earthquake will be protested against at the Newroz celebrations dedicated to those who lost their lives in the earthquakes, Mezopotamya Agency reported. The first fire of Newroz 2023, which was started last week with the declarations announced in the Kurdish-majority southeastern province of Diyarbakır (Amed) and then in Istanbul, was lit in the Şemdinli (Şemzînan) district of Hakkari (Colemêrg) on 15 March.

Before a great Newroz rally to be held on Sunday with hundreds of thousands of people in Istanbul, women gathered in the Bağcılar district on Friday night and lit their first Newroz fire.

In Van (Wan) the Democratic Student Council came together on Friday to light the city's first Newroz fire before the Sunday ceremony.

Kurds also continue to light Newroz fires in different parts of the world. The Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) celebrated Newroz on Friday. "The Newroz torch will always be a light on the path of our people and we will liberate our people with the spirit of Newroz," said AANES authorities in a statement.

Kurds and their friend in Switzerlands gathered in Lausanne on Friday evening and lit the Newroz fire. The Mayor of Lausanne and the Swiss MPs who attended the ceremony stated that they embraced the resistance of the Kurdish people.