"Nevruz celebrations: Hope or fear?
Huseyin Bagci
bagci@metu.edu.tr
20 March 2006
This year the spring advent festival Nevruz is also giving headaches to the government. Since the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) emerged as a terrorist organization in the mid-'80s, Nevruz became a nightmare for every Turkish government. The most dangerous Nevruz celebrations Turkey faced were in the '90s, and nearly every year the utmost security has been taken. It was not only, however, only in southeastern Anatolia, but recently every big city and cities like Istanbul, Mersin, Samsun, Antalya are facing the fear that Nevruz could turn into clashes between Kurdish celebrators and police and military forces but not with the people! This is the problem. Nearly every Nevruz was considered an uprising against the Turkish state and became a politically violent celebration for political demands. "
More:The New Anatolian
