The celebrations marking the Kurdish New Year, Newroz, in the provinces of Kurdistan, the big cities of Turkey and the Middle East have a broad repercussion. Millions of people who flocked to the Newroz areas and chanted the slogan "Bijî Serok Apo" (Long live Öcalan) once again showed that Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan is the only interlocutor for peace in Turkey.

Despite the provocations of Interior Minister Soylu and government ally Bahçeli, one million people attended the Newroz celebration in Amed. 300 thousand Kurds chanted "Biji Serok Apo" in the Newroz area, where they gathered in masses despite the unfavourable weather conditions in Van.

ANF interviewed Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Van Provincial Co-Chair Fikret Doğan about the 2022 Newroz and the messages given by the people.

* What do you think was the main theme that came into prominence in the 2022 Newroz celebrations?

Newroz has been a rebellion against oppression for thousands of years. The Kurds have always been subjected to oppression and denial, and Newroz is the day of resistance and resurrection of the Kurdish people. The Kurds have realized it politically for the last 50 years. All our friends have paid a huge price and made efforts in this regard. Newroz has now become a tradition in Kurdistan where our people come together and deliver their political messages.

In Newroz 2022, our people came up with their own message, knowing what they want. Not only in Van, but also in all Newroz celebrations in Turkey and Kurdistan, our people gave the same message. Abdullah Öcalan is a person who struggles for peace in the four parts of Kurdistan, Turkey and the Middle East. In Newroz 2022, our people gave the message that the isolation of Abdullah Öcalan should be lifted and that he should play his role to promote peace. We hope this is understood correctly.

Turkish President Erdogan and AKP officials have been carrying out black propaganda against your party, saying that ‘public support for the HDP is very low, they are not able to hold a rally anymore’. In the meantime, your party is facing a closure case. How do you evaluate this situation and the public reaction against it during the Newroz celebrations?

I have witnessed Turkey's last 50 years. What I have learned in this country for the last 50 years is that every government that comes to power in the country repeats the previous one. When the AKP came to power, it promised not to close any party. An election threshold was introduced to prevent the Kurds from winning seats in the parliament. However, you cannot eliminate the HDP by closing it. If they shut down the HDP, we will continue our struggle under a different name. Our people have political foresight and will soon find ways to establish a new party. Those who want to close the HDP need to take this into account.

Opposition parties in Turkey turn a blind eye to the Kurdish people. We saw that the Kurds criticized this attitude during the Newroz celebrations. Do you think that the opposition parties would respond to this message delivered by the Kurdish people?

Our people really know what they want. They closely follow both the government and the opposition, and they know what they seek. The HDP issued a public declaration last September. We say that we do not have to choose between the two blocks. We promote a Third Way. All peoples, workers, all faiths, the Kurdish people, and all those who promote peace in this country endorse the Third Way. They object to the system which relies on denial, destruction and oppression. The only opposition to this is the Third Way. Our people see that very well.