DIYARBAKIR - March 21, 2013 - Crowds have started rushing into Nowruz Park on Thursday in the southeastern Diyarbakir city to celebrate the Nowruz festival, which marks the first day of the spring and the beginning of the new year in the Iranian calendar.
Citizens coming from 85 different spots from across the city were transported by vehicles of the Diyarbakir Metropolitan Municipality and they are gathering at the park.
Banners celebrating the Nowruz Festival both in Turkish and Kurdish were visible all across the festival area.
A 5,000-strong team of volunteers are helping police officers at security checkpoints leading to the park.
Around 500 Turkish and foreign TV channels are broadcasting the celebrations live.
The UN's General Assembly, in 2010, recognized the International Day of Nowruz, and it was officially registered on the UNESCO List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009.
Diyarbakir mayor wishes this year's Nowruz to be the manifestation of justice, freedom and fraternity
Metropolitan Mayor of Turkey's southeastern province of Diyarbakir Osman Baydemir has said, "We hope and wish, this will be the Nowruz of manifestation of justice, freedom and fraternity."
Addressing a crowd at the Nowruz Park in Diyarbakir gathered to celebrate Nowruz, the spring festival, Baydemir began his speech in Kurdish and then he continued in Turkish.
"Respectable intellectuals, artists, journalists, the respected representatives of Armenian and Assyrian people, the ones who did not leave us alone here, from the deepness of my heart, we hope and wish, this will be the Nowruz of manifestation of justice, freedom and fraternity," Baydemir said.
Following his speech, the traditional Nowruz fire in the area was lit by Peace & Democracy Party (BDP) Chairman Selahattin Demirtas, deputy chairperson Gulten Kisanak, lawmaker Ahmet Turk and Baydemir.
A speech by PKK terrorist organization's head Abdullah Ocalan, recorded prior to his 1999 arrest, was also screened during the celebrations.
"War does not have a victor whereas peace does not have a loser" read a banner unfurled in the area both in Turkish and Kurdish.
Police chopper flew over the area.
A group of Bolivians who attended the celebrations chanted slogans in Kurdish, saying, "Viva la Nowruz, viva la Bolivia."
