Now that Newroz has become a "Turkish holiday", here in Diyarbakır what happens on March 21 seems like a picnic. The police was only at the beginning of the lawn, searching people, as usual during demonstrations here in Turkey. But they need? By meadows we could access there from any side. Since the Newroz was legalized in Turkey (in 2000) here a stage was built with rooms inside and a huge square in front, all surrounded by fields in the outskirts of the city. But this year, Newroz has become even a Turkish festival: how far can go the elections around the corner!!
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and others have tried: "The Newroz is a Turkish holiday". Election billboards of AKP here in Kurdistan show him watching far away and the phrase: "You are Turkey!". Certainly could not say: "You are Turkish", would have unleashed a war. But wants to send this message: "You, Kurdish voters, are always part of Turkey, feel like protagonists, now you also have a TV channel in Kurdish and even more, if you will vote for me". In short, he tries, like blowing a breath from the Ottoman empire. The AKP is the only party in the race here in Kurdistan, with 30% in the last elections. The DTP is more than 60%, there is no competition, but at least they try. With these subtle slogan, and relying on the Islamic religion, sending their emissaries door to door to bring gifts to the poor people of the Kurdish population with the Koran in the hand and asking them to promise the vote.
But from the stage today have the answer: "Oh yes, so now would be a Newroz party in Turkey, for which for decades they have not allowed us to celebrate it, suppressing us in the blood. So, let us hear a song in Turkish speaking about Newroz, in Kurdish we have hundreds of songs about Newroz".
The doubleface strategy of Erdoğan for the "standardization of the Kurdish problem" passes by Massoud Barzani, Iraqi Kurdish leader, who asked the Kurds in Turkey to lay down their weapons in preparation for an international conference on the Kurdish question. From the stage here today in Diyarbakır Leyla Zana replied: "Before we see what comes out of this conference and then maybe we lay down the weapons". Meanwhile hangs on her already a condemn to prison, suspended for now.
A great picnic, I said. Perhaps 1 million people from 8 am to 5 pm have danced almost continuously, except during the brief but fiery speeches of the Kurdish leaders from the stage.
Kadir was radiant, even though most of the speeches from the stage he didn't understand, because as a Kurdish living in Istanbul and grown on the West coast of Turkey he does not speak Kurdish.
The Kurdish struggle here in Turkey is pushing. Last year in Istanbul the situation was much more tense and this year there have been clashes, too. But these pitiful stunts of the power is a step backwards, actually. The Kurdish struggle is pushing, the celebrations of Newroz are increasing, today there were at least 1 million people.
But there is a downside. There are so many people and so much joy for the presence of Kurdish society as a whole without distinction, old, young, children, and so that many children are lost. That means that both in Istanbul and in Diyarbakır were 2 tents set up to accommodate children who have lost. Today, while the celebrations were underway, we were to visit the tent of children lost here in Diyarbakır (40 children, at least, not too many actually, compared with 1 million people in the place). The tent was just behind the stage. By Kadir we talked with some of them. All were crying continuously and desperately. I asked Kadir to translated to them this sentence: "You might know that when I was child I was always lost, but then my parents always came. Do not worry, soon they will be here". And as I said these words, not at all convincing, starting from their louder cryings, I was wondering if I do not feel lost today. "But where I ended?" I wondered. Out in the meadows of Kurdistan among 1 million people seeking peace and brotherhood. At that moment I remembered that I had never cried as a child when I was lost.
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and others have tried: "The Newroz is a Turkish holiday". Election billboards of AKP here in Kurdistan show him watching far away and the phrase: "You are Turkey!". Certainly could not say: "You are Turkish", would have unleashed a war. But wants to send this message: "You, Kurdish voters, are always part of Turkey, feel like protagonists, now you also have a TV channel in Kurdish and even more, if you will vote for me". In short, he tries, like blowing a breath from the Ottoman empire. The AKP is the only party in the race here in Kurdistan, with 30% in the last elections. The DTP is more than 60%, there is no competition, but at least they try. With these subtle slogan, and relying on the Islamic religion, sending their emissaries door to door to bring gifts to the poor people of the Kurdish population with the Koran in the hand and asking them to promise the vote.
But from the stage today have the answer: "Oh yes, so now would be a Newroz party in Turkey, for which for decades they have not allowed us to celebrate it, suppressing us in the blood. So, let us hear a song in Turkish speaking about Newroz, in Kurdish we have hundreds of songs about Newroz".
The doubleface strategy of Erdoğan for the "standardization of the Kurdish problem" passes by Massoud Barzani, Iraqi Kurdish leader, who asked the Kurds in Turkey to lay down their weapons in preparation for an international conference on the Kurdish question. From the stage here today in Diyarbakır Leyla Zana replied: "Before we see what comes out of this conference and then maybe we lay down the weapons". Meanwhile hangs on her already a condemn to prison, suspended for now.
A great picnic, I said. Perhaps 1 million people from 8 am to 5 pm have danced almost continuously, except during the brief but fiery speeches of the Kurdish leaders from the stage.
Kadir was radiant, even though most of the speeches from the stage he didn't understand, because as a Kurdish living in Istanbul and grown on the West coast of Turkey he does not speak Kurdish.
The Kurdish struggle here in Turkey is pushing. Last year in Istanbul the situation was much more tense and this year there have been clashes, too. But these pitiful stunts of the power is a step backwards, actually. The Kurdish struggle is pushing, the celebrations of Newroz are increasing, today there were at least 1 million people.
But there is a downside. There are so many people and so much joy for the presence of Kurdish society as a whole without distinction, old, young, children, and so that many children are lost. That means that both in Istanbul and in Diyarbakır were 2 tents set up to accommodate children who have lost. Today, while the celebrations were underway, we were to visit the tent of children lost here in Diyarbakır (40 children, at least, not too many actually, compared with 1 million people in the place). The tent was just behind the stage. By Kadir we talked with some of them. All were crying continuously and desperately. I asked Kadir to translated to them this sentence: "You might know that when I was child I was always lost, but then my parents always came. Do not worry, soon they will be here". And as I said these words, not at all convincing, starting from their louder cryings, I was wondering if I do not feel lost today. "But where I ended?" I wondered. Out in the meadows of Kurdistan among 1 million people seeking peace and brotherhood. At that moment I remembered that I had never cried as a child when I was lost.
