Across the Middle East, Kurds are celebrating Nowruz, a traditional holiday marking the arrival of spring and the new year, which has reached new heights of public celebration this year.
Members of the Kurdish diaspora in Europe and other places have also come together to celebrate. What makes this year different is the size of the celebrations and the sense of the dawn of a new era.
This has been the case in Syria, including Damascus, where Kurds feel that there is reason for optimism this year. In addition, Kurds have been celebrating in Turkey, Iran, and Iraq.A number of factors make this year different. In Syria, the Syrian Democratic Forces, led by General Mazloum Abdi, recently agreed to a deal with the new government in Damascus, which Ahmed al-Sharaa runs.
Given that Syria’s exiled president Bashar al-Assad suppressed Kurdish rights for decades, the new deal could enable Kurds to have more of a role in the future Syrian state.
In addition there is hope in eastern Syria that Kurdish politics could become more open to different Kurdish political parties. The system in eastern Syria hasemocratic Party. What matters is that many groups feel there is more openness this year to celebrate, not only across eastern Syria but wherever there are Kurds in Syria, such as in Afrin and Damascus.
Other Kurds have felt sidelined. This includes the Kurdish National Council and Democratic Unity Party, as well as others in the Yekiti party, the Azadi movement, and the Kurdish Progressive Democratic Party. What matters is that many groups feel there is more openness this year to celebrate, not only across eastern Syria but wherever there are Kurds, such as in Afrin and Damascus.
In Turkey, Kurdish groups also feel hope in the recent call by the jailed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader to end the multi-decade war that has cost so many lives. Turkey has used the PKK’s existence as an excuse to suppress Kurds and also carry out attacks in Iraq and Syria.
If this conflict can be reduced, then it will mean less pressure from Ankara targeting Kurds. Huge Kurdish rallies for Newroz in Istanbul are an example. The DEM party organized one of these massive rallies on March 23. There are estimates that millions of Kurds live in Istanbul. They have turned out for the Newroz events this year in large numbers. This comes at a complex time because there are also protests in Istanbul against the arrest of the popular mayor of the city.
For Ankara, the PKK is a dangerous terrorist group. If this conflict can be reduced, then it will mean less pressure from Ankara to target the Kurds.
Huge Kurdish rallies for Nowruz in Istanbul are an example of a sense of optimism. The Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party organized one of these massive rallies on March 23.
There are estimates that millions of Kurds live in Istanbul. They have turned out for the Nowruz events this year in large numbers. This comes at a complex time because there are also protests in Istanbul against the arrest of the popular mayor of the city.
Thousands have attended events in Cologne
In Cologne, Kurdish media also reported that thousands have attended events. “Unity was highlighted at the event that brought together Kurds from different countries and across the political spectrum,” Rudaw media reported.According to it, “The Kurdish national anthem, ‘Ey Reqib,’ was played at the start, and people waved the flags of territories and parties that have at times been foes, such as the Kurdistan Region, northeast Syria (Rojava), the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), the People’s Protection Units, the Syrian Democratic Forces and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party.”
In northern Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan Region, the celebrations have also been large. This is important because the region has faced some hurdles in the past years.In Acre, there is a large celebration where tens of thousands usually gather for a torchlit procession up a mountain. This year, as in the past, the procession took place.What is important for the Kurdistan Region of Iraq is that the autonomous region’s economy continues to thrive. The area also enjoys support from Western militaries and is in the midst of talks with Baghdad about energy issues.Moreover, the two Kurdish political parties that dominate politics, the KDP and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, are in talks about cabinet positions for the government in Erbil.Iran is the one exception where Kurdish celebrations have faced some pushback. Iranians also celebrate Nowruz. However, the regime in Tehran does not like to see too much activism in Kurdish locations. Therefore, the regime often tries to tone down these events in the area of Iran, where many Kurds live.Nevertheless, videos showed Kurds celebrating in Urmia and other areas in Iran. Locals noted that the Tehran regime tends to view the Kurdish celebrations with suspicion. This is in part because of the colorful clothes and freedom that Kurds seek through the celebrations and also accusations that Kurdish political groups that are active in Iran are “separatists.”Overall, the Nowruz celebrations in the region were unique this year. This is because there is a lot of hope in Kurdish areas that this year could be different than the last decade of conflict and previous eras of persecution.