The Kurdistan National Congress (KNK) Executive Council released a written statement to mark this year’s Newroz, saying: “Newroz has always had an important place in the history of Kurdistan. Newroz is a festival of resistance, victory against oppression and freedom. Newroz emerged as a struggle against tyranny and has become the symbol of liberation and freedom against oppression, occupation and all kinds of slavery. The Kurdish people have succeeded in making Newroz a great popular festival and a day of resistance through their efforts and sacrifices over the years.”

The statement continued: “Based on the Kurds’ efforts, Newroz has been recognized as a Kurdish festival all over the world. The Kurdish people celebrate Newroz with its historical meaning in all Kurdistan and abroad to achieve liberation and freedom. The Kurds, with their multiple struggles, made Newroz a ground for the struggle for liberation and freedom in villages, cities, prisons and in all areas of life.

Nowadays, the Newroz fire has been kindled throughout Kurdistan. Newroz is officially celebrated in Rojava. Despite the oppression and crackdown of the invaders in East and North Kurdistan, Newroz is celebrated with its historical meaning, and the fire of liberation and freedom is stoked up more.

We are starting a new year with this year’s Newroz. Last year was a year of struggle in every sense. A huge uprising, led by women under the iconic slogan of 'Jin, Jiyan, Azadi' (Woman, Life, Freedom) has been taking place across East Kurdistan and Iran for the last 6 months. A massive earthquake disaster occurred in Rojava and North Kurdistan, and tens of thousands of people lost their lives and millions of people started to live under precarious conditions. Despite this situation, Turkey escalates its attacks without interruption.

It is already clear that this year will also be a year of major struggles. Our enemies are mounting multiple attacks. In particular, the Turkish state is seeking to launch a major attack in the North, South and West of Kurdistan to destroy the achievements of our people. The Iranian government is also targeting our people and activists. Even though the Kurds have an official status in South Kurdistan, the problems continue. Our enemies are making efforts to weaken and destroy this status. The invasion attacks by the Turkish state continue, seeking to destroy the achievements of our people in Rojava. In the meantime, the Syrian regime is looking for an opportunity to attack us.

This year will mark the 100th anniversary of the Treaty of Lausanne. Our enemies want to impose the Treaty of Lausanne on us for another hundred years. We want to smash down what the Treaty of Lausanne imposed on us. We must strengthen our unity against the enemy’s plans and make this year the year of unity and solidarity.

This situation also shapes our duties and responsibilities. Measures must be taken against all invaders, defence forces must be strengthened, enemy attacks must be repulsed, existing achievements must be preserved, and new ones must be gained. Therefore, unity among the Kurds must be secured and national unity must be strengthened. Whatever may come, we must make this year the year of freedom.

We will celebrate this year’s Newroz with the spirit of resistance. We call on our people to take to the streets to welcome and celebrate Newroz, as we did in previous years.

Newroz fire will shed light on the unity and solidarity of the Kurdish people and nation at this critical turning point in Kurdistan's liberation and freedom struggle.

As the KNK, we celebrate the 21 March national Newroz festival of the Kurdish people.”