ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Istanbul governor’s office on Sunday said they had detained 224 people during Newroz celebrations held in the city, which saw the waving of the Kurdistan flag.
Newroz celebrations were held by the supporters of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) and allies in Istanbul’s Yenikapi square.
In a statement by Istanbul’s governor’s office, the participants in the celebration were detained for “trying to sneak in outlawed signs and banners, chanting illegal slogans to create unrest.”
The co-chair of HDP, Pervin Buldan, addressed the masses attending the rally, stressing that this year’s Newroz is surrounded by an air of grief rather than joy, referring to the deadly February 6 earthquake.
Buldan also called on those present to look forward to May 14, the date set for the upcoming Turkish elections. “May 14th is an important opportunity for us and it will also be a new milestone for us”, said Buldan.
Newroz is an important day for Kurds all over the globe as it signifies the start of spring and marks the first day of the Kurdish New Year.
Millions of Kurds in Turkey celebrate the national occasion annually despite pressure and censorship from authorities. Kurds in Turkey were banned from celebrating Newroz for decades. While recently, the Turkish government has allowed people to go ahead with the festivities, obstacles to the celebrations remain.
Omar Faruk Gergerlioglu, HDP’s MP in the Turkish parliament shared videos from elsewhere in Istanbul on Twitter of the Turkish security forces confiscating red, green, and yellow clothes and scarves, the same colors as the Kurdistan flag. Gergerlioglu mentioned that similar events also happened last year.
Last year, Turkish police banned several people from wearing Kurdish clothes.
The Turkish state has at times denied the existence of Kurds, with the use of the word “Kurdistan” also often creating controversy in the country. For decades, Kurdish parties have been sidelined, prosecuted, and shuttered by the state.
By Azhi Rasul
