People have started gathering in squares in Batman, Siirt and Dersim with the motto “We will prevail” to celebrate Newroz.

SİİRT

Siirt is one of the places where the Newroz fires burn under the lead of the Democratic Regions Party (Demokratik Bölgeler Partisi - DBP) and the Peoples’ Democratic Party (Halkların Demokratik Partisi - HDP) with the motto “We will prevail”. Preparations started early in the morning in the Newroz grounds on Eruh Road, and people started to arrive dressed in their colorful clothes. The crowd came in in two branches and entered the grounds after passing through the two checkpoints. People from the districts, subdistricts and villages of the city, as well as the central district, are coming in to the Newroz grounds with their vehicles. HDP and DBP flags adorn the grounds that are surrounded by police barricades.

Police and armored vehicles have been positioned on all roads leading up to the grounds and people continue to arrive, chanting slogans. The peoples of the city with different identities will gather around the Newroz bonfire in the coming hours.

BATMAN

Newroz activities will be held in the Newroz grounds in Batman. People started gathering in the neighborhoods from early morning hours and have flocked to the grounds in groups. The women are marching in their colorful traditional dresses to the grounds adorned with HDP and DBP flags and colorful banners.

Thousands of Batman residents entered the grounds in three branches after passing through two checkpoints. People started filling the square dressed in traditional clothes and dancing to the music played from the stage.

Banners with the words “Na” and “Hayır” on them (both meaning “No”, in Kurdish and Turkish respectively) were passed out and enthusiasm in the Newroz grounds continues to grow.

DERSİM

Another place to have the Newroz fire burning is Dersim’s Seyid Rıza Square. The governorate didn’t allow activities on March 18 and cut off the power in the square during preparations. But the preparations of the committee managed to finish despite the obstacles. Dersim residents took off from their homes in the morning to take their place in the square. People are also coming in from neighboring districts to attend the activities of the day, which will have HDP Istanbul MP Filiz Kerestecioğlu, HDP Dersim MP Alican Önlü, ESP Central Executive Committee member İlke Başak Baydar, EMEP Central Executive Committee member Mehmet Türkmen, Mazgirt Mayor Tekin Türker as guest speakers.

Musician Hivda Gökel and local bands will be on stage with their music.