Over one million people are joining the Newroz rally in Istanbul today, chanting enthusiastic slogans demanding the freedom of the Kurdish Leader Abdullah Öcalan.

The Newroz rally in Istanbul has started with the Newroz fire being lit after hundreds of thousands flocked to the rally field in Kazlıçeşme, under the slogan “The Newroz fire lit in Sinjar and Kobane brings freedom to the Middle East”. The message of the Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan, that was read out in Amed yesterday, has also been read out at the rally in Istanbul today under the slogans of the masses: “Long Live Leader Apo”.

The rally in Istanbul attracted many people from different ethnic and religious backgrounds, and people ranging from socialists to feminists, from anarchists to workers, including all the democratic forces active in the biggest city of Turkey.

The number of the participants is said to be over 1 million. The head of many leftist parties and the workers organisations, including the biggest federation of public workers unions, KESK, have taken their place in the protocol section, as well as the mother of Suphi Nejat Ağırnaslı, who lost his life in Kobane, Nuran Ağırnaslı, and the father of Serkan Tosun, who lost his life in Rojava, Niyazi Tosun.

Posters of the Kurdish Leader Abdullah Öcalan as well as those from the PKK leadership who have fallen in the liberation struggle have been hung all around the rally field in addition to the coloured flags in red, yellow and green. The rally in Istanbul started with a minute’s silence for all those who have lost their lives in the struggle for liberation, democracy and peace, while the crowd chanted: “Long Live Leader Apo”.

The rally has turned into a colourful scene with the women and youth dressed in traditional clothes, and posters, placards and flags being held aloft by people. The Newroz fire was lit by the co-chairs of the HDP Istanbul branch, Ayse Erdem and Cesim Soylu.

The celebration in Istanbul continued with speeches, calling for peace and democracy in line with the message of the Kurdish Leader that was read out in Amed yesterday.
Speaking first, HDP Istanbul branch co-chair Ayse Erdem started by commemorating all those revolutionaries who have lost their lives in the struggle, and then went on by drawing attention to the importance of the general elections to be held on 7 June saying that 8 June will be the day of new hope after the victory of the HDP. Speaking next, the other co-chair of the HDP Istanbul branch, Cesim Soylu, greeted the demonstrators and celebrated their Newroz.

A Patriotic Kurdish Youth representative also made a speech announcing that the youth will form a federation across the country and will organise a congress for that purpose in the coming future.

The crowd at the rally enthusiastically chanted slogans supporting the Kurdish Leader while previous talks in which he was telling the meaning of Newroz were broadcast on the giant screens set on both sides of the platform.

After that, the message of Abdullah Öcalan that was read out in Amed yesterday was once again read out at the rally, which then continued with songs performed by Group Munzur.
HDP co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş is expected to address the crowd at the rally in the coming hours.