17 March 2010 / AYŞE KARABAT , ANKARA
After Monday’s meeting between Interior Minister Beşir Atalay and the co-chairpersons of the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP), Selahattin Demirtaş and Gülten Kışanak, hopes for calm and peaceful Nevruz celebrations have increased.
Nevruz is a Middle Eastern and Central Asian holiday marking New Year’s and is celebrated on the day of the Spring Equinox, often March 21. Kurds attribute special importance to the holiday; every year it is marked by political meetings under tight security. Atalay, who is the coordinator of the government’s democratization initiative, said after the meeting that celebrations will be allowed and that there will be no interventions. Demirtaş also promised peaceful celebrations. He added that they will instruct their party branches to take the necessary measures.The parliamentary group and the central executive board of the BDP gathered in Hakkari on Tuesday to discuss the Nevruz celebrations. “We are working to ensure that everyone can participate in Nevruz without any hindrance. Nevruz will be celebrated in peace,” Demirtaş said. He added that the celebrations will start today in Hakkari and will end on March 21 in Diyarbakır.
Demirtaş recalled that in the past there had been unrest and deaths during Nevruz celebrations and claimed that the reason for the tension was harsh intervention by security forces. He expressed hope that this would not be the case this time. Atalay said that Nevruz should no longer have negative associations and should be turned into a real celebration. “We have taken measures for it. It will not be prohibited anywhere and will be celebrated in the designated areas,” he said.
