HDP Van Provincial co-chair, Tuncer Sağınç, said that 2022 Newroz will be different from those in the past and added: "We will celebrate a historic Newroz next to the historical Van castle and we will shout our demands out loud. We invite all the people of Van to the Newroz celebrations on 20 March."

Preparations for 2022 Newroz are underway in Van, known for being one of the cities where the most magnificent Newroz celebrations have been celebrated for years.

HDP Van MP Sezai Temelli, regional deputies and hundreds of thousands of people are expected to attend the celebrations that will be held in the Newroz square next to the Van Castle.

co-chair Tuncer Sağınç gave information about the preparations for Newroz and reminded that Newroz has been celebrated with great resistance and enthusiasm since the 1990s. He underlined that it is not just a celebration in Van, but a way for the oppressed to shout their demands out loud.

Sağınç said that Newroz was celebrated with great festivals in the 90s. "Our people are preparing for a historic Newroz again today. We are going through a period in which anti-democratic practices are intensified, and the demands that will arise in Newroz are of great importance in terms of removing anti-democratic practices and paving the way for a new process. There is a repressive political agenda in Turkey. The stalemate created by the current government in the country with the isolation, violations of rights and conflicts will be overcome by the struggle of the peoples. The demands of hundreds of thousands of people for Kurdistan in Van Newroz will overcome this blockage."

Underlining that the main theme of Newroz celebrations will be 'isolation', Sağınç added: "In addition to the isolation, violations of rights in prisons will constitute our main agenda. The demands to be voiced at Newroz are of historical importance in terms of ending the escalating operations, discussing the Kurdish issue on a democratic basis, reopening the way for rights and freedoms, and lifting the censorship on the press. We see great interest from our people. Newroz 2022 will be different from those of the past. Our MP Sezai Temelli, our co-president Tayip Temel, our other deputies and many artists will attend the celebrations. There will also be political parties and democratic mass organizations."

We welcome everybody to attend the Newroz celebrations

Sağınç continued: "We made our application for permission on 4 March. We will celebrate our Newroz within the legal framework as we have always done. We do not think that there will be a negative situation. Our technical work has been completed. We invite our people from village to village, neighbourhood to neighbourhood, street to street. We will celebrate a historic Newroz next to the historical Van castle. We are with the people, we are with our people."