ISTANBUL - The mass Newroz fire, which was lit by 1,500 people in Istanbul in 1979, has reached millions today. The peoples who celebrated despite all the obstacles will light the Newroz fire this year, demanding "freedom for Öcalan."
One of the most important cities where Newroz is celebrated is in Istanbul. The newroz celebrations in İstanbul is defined as the "garden of the peoples" and it has been celebrated uninterruptedly for 43 years. The only demand in the Istanbul Newroz celebrations, where the first fire was lit in 1979 by thousands of people which is reaching millions today, was the solution of the Kurdish question through democratic and peaceful means. After the PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan was brought to Imrali in 1999, the millions who said "The guarantee of peace is in Imrali will take to the streets this year with the demand of release of PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan. The address of this year's Newroz celebrations, which will be celebrated with the slogan "Dem dema serkeftinê ye (It is time to succeed)", has been determined as Yenikapı Square.
NEWROZ WILL BE CELEBRATED EVERYWHERE
The first known Newroz celebration in Istanbul took place at İnci Wedding Hall in Küçükçekmece back in 1979. Nearly 1,500 people gathered there lit the first fire of Newroz symbolically. Although the Newroz celebrations was prevented by the state from time to time until the 1990s, the number of people participating in the Newroz celebrations increased day by day. Hundreds of thousands of Kurds, whose villages were burned due to the war in Kurdistan in the 90s, migrated to Istanbul. While the Newroz celebrations were not allowed from 1991 to 1994, the people continued to celebrate Newroz on the streets in their neighborhoods. The citizens who insisted on celebrations faced police brutality. While a large number of people died as a result of the police interventions, many were injured.
In 1995, the resistance of the people forced the state to change its policy to ban Newroz celebrations. In order to Newroz to lose its soul and essence, state officials organised celebrations for an event they call 'Nevruz'. While only the state officials were attending the "Nevruz" celebrations, thousands of people in Istanbul lit the Newroz fire in Fatih Park the same year. 23 people, who were beaten and detained in the Newroz celebrations during the police intervention were later arrested by the court.
'NEWROZ IS THE PEOPLE'S FESTIVAL NOT THE STATE'S'
Despite all the pressures, the celebrations moved from the neighborhoods to the city centers, and the number of people participating in the Newroz celebrations increased. Despite all the bans in 1996, tens of thousands of people gathered in a football field in Kazlıçeşme, lit the Newroz fire. The police attacked the crowd that dispersed after Newroz celebrations and detained 50 people. Newroz was being celebrated in the Abide-i Hürriyet Square in the Şişli district of İstanbul in 1997. Nearly ten thousand people attended the celebration organized by HADEP (People's Democracy Party). Thousands of people responded to the state efforts to get Newroz to lose its soul and essence with their local dresses. In 1998, Newroz was celebrated in Zeytinburnu Kazlıçeşme Square with the participation of hundreds of thousands.
'FIRE OF REVOLT' AGAINST THE CONSPIRACY'
In 1999 Istanbul Newroz, thousands of people took to the streets in various districts to demand freedom for PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan, who was brought to Turkey as a result of an international conspiracy on February 15th. Thousands of people coming from all over Istanbul lit the Newroz fire, saying it is the "fire of revolt".
In the 2000s, Istanbul Newroz began to be celebrated en masse with the participation of different circles of the society. Despite the governor's ban, the address of the celebrations in 2000 was Abide-i Hürriyet Square in Şişli. The police, who responded harshly to thousands of people flocking into the area, injured dozens of people and detained hundreds of them. The peoples, who could not celebrate Newroz in the area, showed their determination with the fires they lit at many points in Istanbul on the same night.
Even though Newroz was banned in 2001, the public declared that they would not recognize the ban and flocked to Kazlıçeşme Square. Thousands of police officers, who were deployed at many points in the square, attacked the people in Topkapı and its surroundings. There were clashes between the people and the police at many points throughout the day. Scores were injured and detained, but in the evening of the same day, fires were lit in the dozens of neighborhoods. Newroz was being celebrated all over İstanbul.
ÖCALAN IS OUR WILL'
After 2003, the address of Newroz in Istanbul became Kazlı Çeşme Square in Zeytinburnu. While demands for a solution to the Kurdish question were expressed in the celebrations, unlike in other years, the intervention in Iraq was also protested. Kurds were still calling on for peace. However, when this demand was not answered, clashes resumed in June 2004. While the demand for PKK Leader Öcalan to be accepted as the political will came to the fore in the Newroz celebrations, 3.5 million people declared that they accepted Öcalan as their will in the campaign organized on this issue.
The 2007 celebrations were marked by the pressures, isolation and allegations of poisoning of the PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan. Hundreds of thousands of people flocking to Kazlıçeşme Square expressed their sensitivity for Öcalan with the slogan "His health is our health". At the same time, the declaration of Democratic Confederalism was made. The "Êdî Bes e(Enough is enough)" move left its mark on the 2008 Newroz. The state responded to the 2009 Newroz celebrations, which coincided with the local elections and participated by millions of people with “KCK operations”(?).
EITHER FREEDOM OR FREEDOM
In 2010, Kurds, Turks, Armenians, Assyrians, people from different beliefs, workers and public workers were among the hundreds of thousands who gathered in Kazlıçeşme Square. Hundreds of thousands of people demanded the repeal of the Anti-Terror Law (TMK), an end to the military and political operations, and the solution of the Kurdish question through dialogue and negotiation. With the organization of the Democratic City Council, Newroz was celebrated in Istanbul Kazlıçeşme in 2011 with the slogan “Either freedom or freedom”.
HACI ZENGIN DIED DURING CELEBRATIONS BY THE GAS BOMB OF POLICE
The celebrations were banned again in 2012 , as in many other places. Despite the ban in Istanbul, the address of the celebration was Kazlıçeşme Square. The police attacked the tens of thousands marching to the area. After the attack, clashes took place in many districts. The Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) Arnavutköy district manager, Hacı Zengin, died as a result of a gas bomb cannister crushing his skull.
'FREEDOM FOR ÖCALAN'
Öcalan's manifesto marked the Newroz celebrations in 2013 during the peace process. The celebrations were organised with the slogan "Freedom for Öcalan, status for the Kurds". Hundreds of thousands gathered in the area. The event was organised by the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) and the Peoples' Democratic Congress (HDK). BDP MP Sırrı Süreyya Önder, who was in the İmralı Delegation at that time, greeted hundreds of thousands people in Kurdish and Turkish and said, "I bring you the greetings of Mr. Öcalan." Then he read the message from Öcalan.
ÖCALAN'S LETTER CAME TO THE FORE
In 2014, Newroz was held right before the local elections to be held on March 30. Thousands participated in the celebrations held with the motto “Free identity with self-government" and "We will govern our cities ourselves". Öcalan's Newroz message, which was read in Diyarbakir, was read in Turkish and Kurdish in Newroz celebrations which was the highest participation in recent years. Newroz in 2015 was celebrated with the participation of more than 1 million people in Kazlıçeşme. The Newroz area was turned into a garden of the peoples of Turkey. During the celebrations, attention was drawn to the attacks of ISIS against Shengal and Kobanê.
NEWROZ CELEBRATIONS LASTED FOR A WEEK
As in all of Turkey, Newroz was celebrated in Istanbul in 2016 under pressure and blockade. Newroz, which was planned to be celebrated with the slogan "Resistance everywhere" in Bakırköy Public Market, was banned by the Istanbul Governor's Office. Despite the siege of HDP buildings and the closure of all roads, the people tried to enter the Newroz area. After the intervention of the police, people spreaded all around the city celebrated Newroz in every district of İstanbul.
ADDRESS KARTAL SQUARE
The celebrations in 2017, which was held under the shadow of the State of Emergency (OHAL) declared on July 15, 2016. The celebrations were held in Kartal this time and was participated by thousands of people. The letters of Selahattin Demirtaş and Figen Yüksekdağ was read.
AFRIN RESISTANCE WAS SALUTED
In 2018, Newroz celebrations were held in Bakırköy Public Market. People were filled with anger with the attacks of Turkey against Afrin. The isolation on PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan was protested.
HUNGER STRIKE MARKED IN THE CELEBRATIONS IN 2019
2019 Newroz was celebrated in Bakırköy Public Market with the slogan "We will definitely win, we will break the isolation". Attention was drawn to the hunger strike initiated by Democratic Society Congress (DTK) Co-chair and Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Hakkari MP Leyla Güven. The letter of Ayten Beçet who ended her life in protest of the isolation imposed on PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan was read.
In 2020, the Newroz celebrations were cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Newroz was celebrated in Yenikapı Square in 2021 despite the pandemic.The closure case against the HDP and the withdrawal from the İstanbul Convention came to the fore.
'FREEDOM FOR ÖCALAN'
The 2022 Newroz fire will be lit in 62 city centers. The peoples who will gather around the slogan "Dem dema serkeftine ye (it's time to succeed)" will shout out the demand for "freedom for Öcalan". The first fire of the Newroz celebrations will be lit on March 15 in the Beytüşşebap district of Şırnak, located on the border line of the Federated Kurdistan Region, where Turkey's attacks continue. The Newroz fire in Istanbul will be lit in Yenikapı on March 20.
MA / Ferhat Celik