DİYARBAKIR - Citizens who flocked to the glorious Diyarbakir Newroz stressed that peace and solution would only be possible with the physical freedom of PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan.
More than one million people attended Diyarbakir Newroz celebrations this year, which was held with the slogan "Dem dema serkeftinê (Now is the time to win)". Despite all the obstacles, the citizens, who were on their way to Newroz Park early in the morning with their colorful local clothes, frequently shouted out 'Biji serok Apo'(Long live Abdullah Öcalan)" slogans and demanded the physical freedom of PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan.
'ÖCALAN IS OUR LEADER'
Stating that 2022's Newroz is attributed to Öcalan, Ebedin Aktaş said, "2022's Newroz means the freedom of our Leader. Newroz is to express the brotherhood of all Kurdish people and the people of the Middle East in the person of our Leader. As long as the leader of the Kurdish people is not liberated, neither peace will come to the Middle East nor the people of Kurdistan can be liberated. We defend our leader's freedom to the end. No matter how much pressure they put on us, we will not give up on our cause. Abdullah Öcalan is our leader, he is our political will. We will shout out this more and more every day."
'WE WILL BREAK THE ISOLATION'
Pointing out that peace cannot be established until the isolation is lifted, Aktaş continued: "Unless this absolute isolation is lifted, there will be no peace in the world at all. Defending the right of the Leader means defending the freedom of the Kurdish people and Kurdistan. Öcalan's freedom means the brotherhood of all peoples. We are ready to do whatever it takes, and we will continue to do so. The Kurdish people will break the isolation. This year is the year of freedom. This year will bring the freedom of our Leader and the Kurdish people."
THE ONLY REASON IS ÖCALAN'S FREEDOM
Reacting to the provocation of the police in the area, Muhammed Pınar said, "Newroz is our color, our tradition. We will not give up on our cause. Let Newroz bring us the freedom of our prisoners. The only reason we are there is the freedom of PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan. He will be released and there is no other way.
EMPHASIS ON STRUGGLE
Referring to the history of Newroz, Murat Çetin said, "We will free Abdullah Öcalan. We are very hopeful and we will never lose hope. No matter how much they presure us, we will step up our resistance. We will defeat them with our struggle. Their day is over. Our day is coming.
Mevlüt Kılıç said, “We did not and will not bow down to this fascism. As Kurdish youth, we are ready to do whatever we can for a free Kurdistan.”
'THE FIRE BURNING INSIDE THE OPPRESSED WILL NOT GO OUT'
Pointing out the oppression against the Kurdish people, Kemal Güzel emphasised that the Newroz fire will not put out in the face of this oppression. Güzel said: "This fire is the fire of the blacksmith Kawas, this is the fire of the Mazlum Doğan, the fire of the Kemal Pir, Deniz Poyraz and Kemal Kurkut. They will never put out the Newroz fire. We want to live freely in our own land and we are righteous in our cause. Even while entering this park we were subjected to police violence and oppression."
FREEDOM FOR KURDISH LANGUAGE
Medine Aydın pointed to the prohibitions on Kurdish and demanded the bans to come to an end. Aydın said, “We want peace and equality. We want our mother tongue to be free. We don't want pressure."
Yasemin Söğüt stated that they faced with violence on Newroz just like they did on March 8 and said, "Women are always dragged on the ground by the police, both on Newroz and on Women's Day. Kurdish women have been suffering these pressures for years, enough is enough. We stand tall with our leadership. We are honored. Kurdish mothers will succeed."
DEMAND FOR NEGOTIATION
Muhsin Turan, who wants negotiations to be made with Öcalan, said, “We are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the leader of the Kurdish people, Mr. Abdullah Öcalan. We are aware that this people will not be free unless the our leader is free. This is the Newroz of our Leader. We expect the government to start negotiations with our leader, otherwise the Kurdish people will continue to resist and win at the end. Öcalan is one of the best leaders in the world. Abdullah Öcalan is a universal leader. He is the leader of the world peace. There will be no peace in the world without our leader."