Kurdish politician Sebahat Tuncel, a member of the Free Women's Movement (TJA), spoke at the enthusiastic Newroz celebration in Amed (Diyarbakır) attended by hundreds of thousands of people.

Referring to Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan’s ‘Call for Peace and Democratic Society’ on 27 February, Sebahat Tuncel said: “Mr. Abdullah Öcalan gave a message to the Kurdish people and the peoples of the Middle East. He said to the state: 'I can take the Kurdish question out of the grounds of war and bring it to legal grounds.' He also made a call to society: 'Not everything is expected from the state. We will build a democratic society.” Since that day, there has been hope all over the world for a democratic and peaceful solution to the Kurdish issue. While people nurtured this hope, the state failed to fulfill its responsibility. The isolation still continues. The conditions for Mr. Öcalan's freedom have not been prepared. How will you pave the way to peace? It is the state's responsibility to pave the way to peace, and our responsibility to build a democratic society.”

“There is no step on this issue. The space for democratic politics is narrowing. They detained İmamoğlu. Whoever talks about peace and freedom is threatened with arrest and violence. How will we make peace?” Tuncel asked.

“We warn the government,” Sebahat Tuncel said, “Open the way for democratic politics. The freedom of the Kurdish people is the freedom of Mr. Öcalan. Our job is not easy, it is difficult. But we are people who accomplish difficult things. Whatever we have created so far, we have created it by resisting. I salute those who resisted once again.”

Sebahat Tuncel remarked that women's struggle for freedom is the Kurdish people's struggle for freedom and added: “However, we are also struggling against the male-dominated system. Society cannot be free without women being free. That is why the voices of 'Jin, Jiyan, Azadî' [Woman, Life, Freedom] are raised all over the world. This slogan is the philosophy of freedom. We salute our women comrades in the struggle for freedom. Women will struggle to pave the way for Mr. Öcalan’s freedom and peace.”

Sebahat Tuncel called on everyone to resist: “We want to see Leader Apo [Abdullah Öcalan] here. We want to see him on the walls of Amed. As Kurds, we want to be equal citizens. As Alevis, we want to be equal citizens. We want to live equally and freely with the peoples of the Middle East. We invite you all to struggle and resistance.”