At the Newroz celebration held on Sunday at Yenikapı Square in the western Turkish metropolis of Istanbul, 26 people were detained, including two minors. The detentions only became known on Monday during the release process.
According to lawyers, 25 of those detained were released after police questioning, while one person from Rojava remains in custody. This person is currently being held at the immigration office in Istanbul and is expected to be transferred to a deportation center.
The Association of Lawyers for Freedom (ÖHD) stated that the detentions were carried out, among other reasons, due to slogans that fall under freedom of expression, as well as the wearing of Kurdish clothing. In a statement, the association described the measures as arbitrary and announced that it would pursue the case legally. The interventions target fundamental rights and freedoms, it added.
Around one million people participated in the Newroz celebration organized by the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM) in Istanbul’s Fatih district yesterday. It was one of the largest events marking the Kurdish New Year on March 21 in western Turkey in recent years.