Ocalan’s Message Is Much More Than a Cease-Fire
PKK Leader Abdullah Ocalan’s message of a “cease-fire” is only the starting point for democratic discussions with the Turkish government, writes Cengiz Candar.
Nowruz, known as the Iranian New Year in the western world, is the beginning of the new year for some central Asia and Balkan countries, as well as the Kurds. On March 21, 2013, Nowruz became more than the beginning of the new year for the Kurds. In Turkey, it was perceived as the beginning of a new era not only for the Kurds but also for Turkey and the entire Middle East.
Nowruz was celebrated with unprecedented euphoria by nearly two million people in Diyarbakir, the center of southeastern Turkish — revelers danced in the streets adorned in yellow, green and red, the Kurdish national colors.
