21 March is celebrated as a spring festival in Turkey and in many other countries. The festival has been associated with conflict in Turkey in the last decades because it has become a symbol of the pro-Kurdish movement.
Just as many gatherings in the past were forbidden, calling the festival “Newroz” rather than “Nevruz”, i.e. using Kurdish letters, has been banned.
The festival is based on a Kurdish legend of the deposition of a tyrant, and is celebrated with fires and jumping over the fire. Representatives of the Turkish state and political parties have only really started celebrating the festival since the 1990s.
"End violence"
The Turkish Peace Parliament has called on the festival to be “an opportunity to face the past, to end continuing violence, and to create an atmosphere of peace.”
The parliament is made up of academics, journalists, rights activists and intellectuals. In a statement, it said:
“Newroz is the good news of a new day and spring, of nature blossoming with all its beauty and majesty, and for our people it is the expression of a plentiful day.”
“Wishing for a democratic and peaceful solution to the Kurdish issue, and for a development in democracy and freedoms, we celebrate the Newroz Festival of all the people in the Middle East.”
Uras calls for solution
Ufuk Uras, MP for the Freedom and Solidarity Party (ÖDP) also called for the festival to be “the beginning of a solution.”
He called for a development of constitutional citizenship, the development of a project to end armed conflict, the strengthening of local government and increased public investment in the southeast of Turkey.
Many DTP celebrations
The pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP) began Newroz celebrations in the southeastern and eastern cities of Agri, Erzurum and Mardin on Thursday, 20 March.
In Diyarbakir a big celebration takes place on 21 March, and in Istanbul in Zeytinburnu on Sunday (23 March).
The General Staff posted a celebratory message for “Nevruz”, for the “good news of spring” on its website.
According to Ntvmsnbc, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) has suggested that “Nevruz” become an official holiday. The DTP and the Justice and Development Party (AKP) have said that they would support such a bill. (EÜ/GG)