The Newroz celebration in Adana continued with the speech of Tülay Hatimoğulları, Co-chair of the Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party. Tülay Hatimoğulları reacted to the arrest of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu. Drawing attention to the government's oppression policies against the opposition, Tülay Hatimoğulları said, "The judicial operation that has been going on for days for the Istanbul Bar Association was concluded by themselves and they took our professor İbrahim Kaboğlu from the presidency of the Istanbul Bar Association. İbrahim Kaboğlu is the conscience of this society in terms of law."

 

Referring to the historic call of Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan on 27 February, Tülay Hatimoğulları stated that the call was welcomed positively by everyone and emphasised that they are behind the call. 

 

"Mr Abdullah Öcalan made it clear to us in İmralı and said, 'This call is not only for the Kurdish people, not only for the solution of the Kurdish issue. This call is a call to establish peace in Turkey and the Middle East. This call is a call for a democratic society. This call is a call for the struggle for freedom and the right to life of women living in Turkey. This call is a call for the workers, labourers and the poor in Turkey to organise'. Mr Abdullah Öcalan's call is a call for the youth, who have been taken over by drug gangs, to fight against this and to ensure their own organisation. This call is a call to update the historical meaning of the Turkish-Kurdish alliance," she added.

 

Tülay Hatimoğulları reacted to the state's failure to take any steps against the call and said, "Recently, our Alawite brothers and sisters were massacred in Latakia, Hama, Homs, Banyas and the massacre is still going on. Mr Öcalan emphasised that all peoples and beliefs should be represented in Syria and gave a very strong message to build a democratic Syria. While we were expecting democratisation after this call, unfortunately the current government and state understanding increased their oppression against the society. We express once again from Çukurova; we will continue to call for peace and democratic society no matter what the cost.

 

Hatimoğulları said, "We take our strength from the righteousness of our struggle. Our path is the path of peace and solution. Our path is through democracy. Our goal is to live together in a democratic Turkey. The struggle for this is a right."

 

The celebration ended with the songs sung by singers Nuray Balık and Diljen Roni, and the dances.