Mithat Sancar, co-chair of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), made it clear once again at Tuesday's parliamentary group meeting in Ankara that his party adheres to the contents of the Newroz Declaration issued by Abdullah Öcalan in 2013.

Sancar pointed out that New Year is celebrated by many peoples in the Middle East on March 21: "Newroz is the symbol of hope for a new life and stands for resistance against injustice and the hunger for justice. The initiatives that took place on Newroz for peace and a solution are alive in the social memory of this country. It is a precious day when we have the opportunity to touch the origin of the multiple crises that keep repeating in the country. If we do not go back to the origin of the problems, there will be no way out of the system of repressive injustice. The peoples living on this pain-soaked soil have been demanding a just peace for a hundred years. The longing for it is great. As long as there is no just peace, the pain caused by coups, bloodshed and injustice will prevail in this land. It is always the peoples who have to pay the price for destroying any prospect of peace.

Newroz 2013 has shown the way to peace

I would like to remember Newroz 2013. Dear friends, it is our duty to remember the message that was given at that time in front of a huge crowd. At that time, a resolution process was taking place, which was ended due to power calculations. Since the negotiating table was overturned, developments have taken a course whose price is very high. Everything has been turned upside down. There is no democracy, no legal system and no justice anymore. Six years ago we talked about keeping the guns silent forever. How the road can go there was laid out in 2013 for Newroz. The call that was read out then must be addressed and supported again today. The overturned negotiating table has caused Turkey to collapse in every way. It is up to us to recognize the reason for this collapse and to work together to find ways out.

A question of courage

The demand for a just peace is not a sign of weakness or cowardice. Nor is it a tactical offensive. Demanding peace has always been a matter of courage in this country. Fighting for peace has always been a journey that has taken a toll. That is why we must address the demand for peace to the right people and find the right words. We have no expectations of the government, because it is responsible for the collapse. If we want to take the right path towards a solution to the Kurdish question and establish a just peace, we must address society itself, the forces of democracy and the opposition.

So that the weapons in the country are silent

The opposition and the forces of democracy must present a program for a democratic solution and a just peace. We must not waste time with empty and manipulative debates. We exist so that the weapons in this country are truly silent. For this, everyone must fulfill their responsibility and take the necessary steps. Peace cannot be considered a boon. Those in power tend to think of peace as an act of mercy for society. However, peace refers to a building process from the bottom up and can only be achieved through the solidarity, work and courage of the forces in society. This is the basis of the call for peace that was declared to the whole world eight years ago at the Newroz celebration in Diyarbakir. We still stand behind this call today. We trust our political experience and our base and we believe in the power of peace. We trust the Kurdish people's willingness to sacrifice and their unwavering commitment to freedom. In order to expand this framework and include the broadest sectors of society, we must do everything possible.

Day of hope and new beginnings

Those who assume that they will achieve success by ignoring the will, the language and the identity of the Kurdish people and by dissuading them from their struggle for democracy and peace through the arrest of their elected representatives, through the appointment of trustees to their town halls and through anti-Kurdish policies are mistaken. The Newroz enthusiasm will unite the peoples regardless of their color and identity and through this the will is going to emerge to bring a solution and peace to this country. This construction will definitely succeed. Along with peace, democracy and justice will be restored. We are preparing for Newroz with great enthusiasm. It is a gathering of hope and faith in resistance against injustice and oppression. That is why we say that freedom is an unbreakable part of our identity. Newroz is the day of renewal of life."