Kurds protest Turkey′s Afrin offensive during Newroz celebrations | All media content | DW | 21.03.2018

We use cookies to improve our service for you. You can find more information in our data protection declaration.

More info OK
  1. Inhalt
  2. Navigation
  3. Weitere Inhalte
  4. Metanavigation
  5. Suche
  6. Choose from 30 Languages

Middle East

Kurds protest Turkey's Afrin offensive during Newroz celebrations

Newroz festivities in Turkey's largest Kurdish-majority city, Diyarbakir, were marked by anger and frustration over Ankara's military operation in Afrin and the international community's inaction. Diego Cupolo reports.

  • Newroz festival in Diyarbakir (DW/D. Cupolo)

    Newroz marked with protest

    Newroz, the Kurdish and Persian New Year, is an ancient festival that marks the Spring Equinox. Though normally a time for celebration, this year’s festivities were marked with anger and protest over the Turkish government's ongoing military operations in Afrin, Syria, where Ankara-backed militias have been conducting an offensive on the enclave of Kurdish militants since January 20, 2018.

  • Newroz festival in Diyarbakir (DW/D. Cupolo)

    Crowd filled with pride, frustration

    This year's festival came just days after Turkish-backed militias took the city of Afrin, scoring a major victory against Kurdish militants who have largely been pushed out of northwestern Syria. In response, attendees of Newroz celebrations in Diyarbakir, Turkey's largest Kurdish-majority city, chanted pro-Kurdish slogans such as "Long live the Afrin resistance."

  • Newroz festival in Diyarbakir (DW/D. Cupolo)

    'This is not just a celebration, it’s resistance'

    "There's never been an easy time to celebrate Newroz, but the people who come here are sending a message," said Aynur Asan, member of the Kurdish-led Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) council. "It's a salute to liberated Kurdish areas, but it's also a message to those who have given up on Kurds. This is not just a celebration, it's resistance."

  • Newroz festival in Diyarbakir (DW/D. Cupolo)

    'Barbarism and looting'

    Pervin Buldan, the new HDP co-chair, addressed the crowd in Diyarbakir with criticism of Turkey's Operation in Afrin. "They did not bring anything to Afrin other than barbarism and looting," she said. "They attacked Afrin because of their intolerance to the gains of the Kurds." She went on to say Ankara could not break the bond between Kurds in Turkey and Syria.

  • Newroz festival in Diyarbakir (DW/D. Cupolo)

    Afrin's rightful owners

    Throughout the Afrin offensive, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said the area would be liberated from Kurdish terrorists and returned to its rightful owners. In response, Hisyar Ozsoy, deputy chair of the HDP's foreign affairs, said: "Afrin belongs to the people of Afrin, the majority of whom are Kurdish … what Erdogan is trying to do is ethnic engineering."

  • Newroz festival in Diyarbakir (DW/D. Cupolo)

    Criticism of EU inaction

    "When we go to the West, we see schools and factories. When you come here, what do you see other than prisons and police and tanks?" asked a member of the Peace Mothers, a group of women who've lost children in ongoing conflicts, during a meeting with EU delegates prior to Newroz. "You have not put Erdogan on trial."

  • Newroz festival in Diyarbakir (DW/D. Cupolo)

    Ongoing state of emergency

    Wednesday's Newroz celebration-turned-protest was a rare display of dissent in Turkey, where political gatherings have been banned under a state of emergency that has been in effect since the failed coup attempt in July 2016. In addition, Diyarbakir was under round-the-clock curfew during military operations, in which Turkish forces eradicated Kurdish militants from the city center.

  • Newroz festival in Diyarbakir (DW/D. Cupolo)

    Dwindling attendance

    Following urban warfare that gripped much of Diyarbakir's city center between 2015 and 2016, many of the city's citizens have shied away from public events such as Newroz. Pictured above, members of local Kurdish groups distribute invitations to Newroz in the Diyarbakir's historic center in an effort to encourage people to join the festivities.

  • Newroz festival in Diyarbakir (DW/D. Cupolo)

    'No matter how much pressure they face'

    Selma Atabey, a representative for the Health and Social Service Workers Union (SES), said more than 4,300 members of her union lost their jobs in Turkey's post-coup crackdown, but many still came out for the festivities. "Newroz is a time when Kurds can express their existence here. No matter how much pressure they face, they will celebrate Newroz," she said.

  • Newroz festival in Diyarbakir (DW/D. Cupolo)

    Festivities cut short

    The gathering in Diyarbakir ended abruptly on Wednesday, after younger attendees jumped security fences and rushed the stage. Police called for the celebrations to be cut short, but lingering groups continued to play drums and dance. "They always stop us early, but we enjoy ourselves as much as we can," said Nurettin, a male who gave only his first name.


  • Newroz festival in Diyarbakir (DW/D. Cupolo)

    Newroz marked with protest

    Newroz, the Kurdish and Persian New Year, is an ancient festival that marks the Spring Equinox. Though normally a time for celebration, this year’s festivities were marked with anger and protest over the Turkish government's ongoing military operations in Afrin, Syria, where Ankara-backed militias have been conducting an offensive on the enclave of Kurdish militants since January 20, 2018.

  • Newroz festival in Diyarbakir (DW/D. Cupolo)

    Crowd filled with pride, frustration

    This year's festival came just days after Turkish-backed militias took the city of Afrin, scoring a major victory against Kurdish militants who have largely been pushed out of northwestern Syria. In response, attendees of Newroz celebrations in Diyarbakir, Turkey's largest Kurdish-majority city, chanted pro-Kurdish slogans such as "Long live the Afrin resistance."

  • Newroz festival in Diyarbakir (DW/D. Cupolo)

    'This is not just a celebration, it’s resistance'

    "There's never been an easy time to celebrate Newroz, but the people who come here are sending a message," said Aynur Asan, member of the Kurdish-led Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) council. "It's a salute to liberated Kurdish areas, but it's also a message to those who have given up on Kurds. This is not just a celebration, it's resistance."

  • Newroz festival in Diyarbakir (DW/D. Cupolo)

    'Barbarism and looting'

    Pervin Buldan, the new HDP co-chair, addressed the crowd in Diyarbakir with criticism of Turkey's Operation in Afrin. "They did not bring anything to Afrin other than barbarism and looting," she said. "They attacked Afrin because of their intolerance to the gains of the Kurds." She went on to say Ankara could not break the bond between Kurds in Turkey and Syria.

  • Newroz festival in Diyarbakir (DW/D. Cupolo)

    Afrin's rightful owners

    Throughout the Afrin offensive, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said the area would be liberated from Kurdish terrorists and returned to its rightful owners. In response, Hisyar Ozsoy, deputy chair of the HDP's foreign affairs, said: "Afrin belongs to the people of Afrin, the majority of whom are Kurdish … what Erdogan is trying to do is ethnic engineering."

  • Newroz festival in Diyarbakir (DW/D. Cupolo)

    Criticism of EU inaction

    "When we go to the West, we see schools and factories. When you come here, what do you see other than prisons and police and tanks?" asked a member of the Peace Mothers, a group of women who've lost children in ongoing conflicts, during a meeting with EU delegates prior to Newroz. "You have not put Erdogan on trial."

  • Newroz festival in Diyarbakir (DW/D. Cupolo)

    Ongoing state of emergency

    Wednesday's Newroz celebration-turned-protest was a rare display of dissent in Turkey, where political gatherings have been banned under a state of emergency that has been in effect since the failed coup attempt in July 2016. In addition, Diyarbakir was under round-the-clock curfew during military operations, in which Turkish forces eradicated Kurdish militants from the city center.

  • Newroz festival in Diyarbakir (DW/D. Cupolo)

    Dwindling attendance

    Following urban warfare that gripped much of Diyarbakir's city center between 2015 and 2016, many of the city's citizens have shied away from public events such as Newroz. Pictured above, members of local Kurdish groups distribute invitations to Newroz in the Diyarbakir's historic center in an effort to encourage people to join the festivities.

  • Newroz festival in Diyarbakir (DW/D. Cupolo)

    'No matter how much pressure they face'

    Selma Atabey, a representative for the Health and Social Service Workers Union (SES), said more than 4,300 members of her union lost their jobs in Turkey's post-coup crackdown, but many still came out for the festivities. "Newroz is a time when Kurds can express their existence here. No matter how much pressure they face, they will celebrate Newroz," she said.

  • Newroz festival in Diyarbakir (DW/D. Cupolo)

    Festivities cut short

    The gathering in Diyarbakir ended abruptly on Wednesday, after younger attendees jumped security fences and rushed the stage. Police called for the celebrations to be cut short, but lingering groups continued to play drums and dance. "They always stop us early, but we enjoy ourselves as much as we can," said Nurettin, a male who gave only his first name.


More in the Media Center

Kurds in Germany look anxiously to Afrin 27.01.2018

Turkey: Offensive against Kurds in Syria will continue 19.03.2018

Turkish-led forces take control of Syria's Afrin 18.03.2018

AKP spokesman Harun Armagan talks to DW 20.02.2018

Read also

Syrien - von der Türkei unterstützte Truppen in der Nähe von Manbidsch

Kurds see their dreams go up in smoke in Syria 08.01.2019

US President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw troops from Syria has forced the Kurds to rethink alliances. Will they achieve their aim of an autonomous Kurdistan region in the north-east? Anchal Vohra reports.

Moskau Gespräche Außenminister Russland Türkei über Syrien

Turkey, Russia coordinate on Syria ahead of US withdrawal 29.12.2018

With the US pulling out of Syria, Russia holds the cards to determine how far Turkey can go with a military option. Diplomatic and military factors may be causing Turkey to think twice.

Türkei Sebahat Tuncel Festnahme

Turkey jails Kurdish politicians over alleged terror links 02.02.2019

A court in Turkey has sentenced two Kurdish politicians to lengthy prison terms on charges of belonging to a terrorist organization. The opposition HDP party says the judgment is part of an effort to wipe out democracy.

Hozan Cane

Turkish court sentences German-Kurdish singer to six years in prison 14.11.2018

A German woman has been found guilty of being a member of a terrorist organization by the Turkish government. She is the third German citizen in as many months to be sentenced to prison in Turkey.