DİYARBAKIR - Kurdish political parties and movements announced the beginning of Newroz celebrations in, Diyarbakır. A call was made to join Newroz in the spirit of national unity.
The Newroz celebrations this year began in Diyarbakır with the slogan "Ji bo yekîtî, demokrasî, azadî" in Kurdish and "Demokrasi, Adalet, Özgürlük için" (For democracy, justice, freedom) in Turkish.
The program of Newroz was presented at a press conference in Sur, Diyarbakır. The press conference saw the participation of co-chairs, co-spokespersons and representatives of Kurdish parties: Democratic Society Congress (DTK), Peoples' Democratic Congress (HDK), Free Women’s Movement (TJA), Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), Democratic Regions Party (DBP), Kurdistan Islamic Party (AZADÎ), Revolutionary Democratic Kurdish Association (DDKD), Human and Freedom Party (PIYA), Kurdistan Communist Party (KKP) and Kurdistan Democratic Platform (PDK).
DTK co-chair Berdan Öztürk read the Turkish version of the text prepared for the press, while PIYA President Mehmet Kamaç read the Kurdish version.
The text titled "Towards Newroz for democracy, justice and freedom" said: "Kurdistan is an ancient land that has hosted peoples, beliefs and cultures thanks to its fertile lands despite thousands of years of war, slaughter and migration. The Kurdish people, one of the most ancient peoples of this land, has known how to live peacefully with neighboring peoples for centuries, and respected the language, culture and land of all neighbours continuing its life with dignity.
The Kurdish nation has been one of the leading forces of these lands in the resistance against cruelty, and has gave birth to thousands of Kawa who resisted the cruel Dehaks for thousands of years.
The Kurdish people have been celebrating 21st of March every year as a holiday of spring, rebirth, renewal, resistance and hope."
The text continued: "We will invite the international public and our friends to express their solidarity, shouting that the political demands of the Kurdish people are not a bargaining issue of global war barons, that we will organize every area of life for the establishment of an honorable peace, an equal and free life, and that we never accept the slave-master dicotomy.
We will call upon the peoples of the world to raise their voices for the Middle East Peace against the hegemony wars that are constantly trying to deepen in the Middle East.
We will rise our voice demanding the liberation of Mr. Abdullah Öcalan, who is a hostage in prison for 21 years, and we demand the release of all political prisoners, especially sick prisoners.
Today, we will shout out the demands of women who give us strength and teach us to resist with their resistance, to establish a free and equal life.
Newroz 2020 will be a platform where the Kurdish people will present their democratic and political demands with great enthusiasm and morale.
We invite all our friends, especially our people, democratic mass organizations, women, youth and nature and environmental organizations to celebrate 2020 Newroz."