Soydan Akay evaluated the historical, political, and social transformation of Newroz based on decades of experience, addressing the period from the early 1990s to the present through both personal experience and collective memory. According to Akay, Newroz has evolved not only as a cultural ritual, but also as one of the fundamental moments of identity formation, resistance, and social transformation.
Akay emphasized that in the early 1990s, the symbolic meaning of Newroz was grounded in a powerful historical background, with narratives built around legendary figures nurturing national consciousness. However, he noted that his generation was influenced less by mythological narratives and more by figures of resistance from the more recent past.
Over time, Newroz moved beyond being merely a commemorative or symbolic day and gained a mass character through direct public participation, Akay said, highlighting the difference between street actions in western cities and forms of mass resistance in Northern Kurdistan (Bakur).
Akay underlined that even small actions carried great significance during that period and he said: “During this time, Newroz celebrations became popularized in line with a spirit of revival. In the West, so-called ‘unauthorized’ street actions during every Newroz created tremendous excitement. Burning a tire, chanting a slogan, and writing ‘Biji Newroz (Long live Newroz)’ were major acts. In Kurdistan, however, it was a time when people took to the squares against the regime of the period, ready to face death, rising in intifada (uprising) and serhildan (uprising).”
Akay noted that the 1993 Newroz took place in a distinct political atmosphere, adding that the ceasefire process of that year was directly reflected in the celebrations and marked his last “free” Newroz experience. He said: “In İzmir, where I was about to finish high school, the course of Newroz began to change after Rahşan Demirel set her body on fire during Newroz in Kadifekale. Newroz had become a symbol of rebirth and rediscovery of existence in Kurdish identity and culture, and the state had stepped back from its policy of denying the Kurds. Recognizing the ‘Kurdish reality’ was a product of a people’s reality shaped by Newroz. The Newroz of that period was a Newroz of revival.
We had planned and celebrated the 1993 Newroz while organizing in İzmir. It took place in Karabağlar Çamlık. There was a striking development at the time: a ceasefire agreement had been reached between the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the state, and Newroz was celebrated on a peaceful basis. This was the last Newroz that I planned and celebrated while I was outside.”
After more than thirty years of imprisonment, returning to the Newroz grounds carried a profound meaning for Akay, who described this experience as a concrete expression of collective existence.
He also highlighted that the celebrations in Amed (Diyarbakır) represented the tangible form of the long-imagined social unity, saying: “I was released after 32 years of imprisonment on the day the PKK was dissolved. Like many of my friends, I lived with the dream of one day taking part in Newroz in Amed. Yesterday, I took my place there. I said to myself, ‘Yes, this is the most beautiful picture of Kurdish existence.’ I imagined that Abdullah Öcalan would one day come here. Being there was first and foremost his right. Only then can the real picture be complete.”
This Newroz marks the beginning of liberation and foundation
Akay described the atmosphere at the Newroz grounds as a “communal unity,” stating that it was not merely a physical crowd but also a shared state of consciousness and emotion. He pointed out that transforming this potential into concrete organization is the fundamental task, adding that the people’s stance contains a clear call. Akay said: “That moment was the very essence of the sociality I was part of. A massive commune. In fact, the people have already built a commune of communes in feeling and in thought. What remains is this: to collectively turn it into reality and practice on a democratic basis. There is sociality, there is society. As its form of organization, we will build democratic communalism. The people are saying to those who want to build a democratic society, ‘If you know how, come and explain; let us build it together. There is no construction without the people, without society; as long as you are democratic, come as you are, and let us experience liberation.’”
Soydan Akay addressed the message sent by Abdullah Öcalan, emphasizing that its framework should be approached through historical interpretation, renewal, and the axis of social freedom. He connected this historical perspective to a broader debate on civilization, recalling how the West carried out its own transformation and stating that a similar transformation is possible in the Middle East.
Akay continued: “The message of Abdullah Öcalan is quite brief and concise. First, history has meaning only if it is correctly interpreted and updated on the basis of social freedom. Newroz is a genuine program of social and communal history. The peoples once achieved this against Assyria and now is precisely the time to bring it into the present and adapt it to the age. It is not a utopia or a myth; it is a reality. Its mythological dimension is in fact the expression of the construction of a democratic communal society at that time.
Just as the West carried out its Reformation and Renaissance through the cultural tradition of Ancient Greece and Rome, overcoming narrow, dogmatic, and sectarian understandings and conflicts, the Middle East, the cradle of democratic culture, can overcome these all the more.”
Relations and habits that have lost meaning must be abandoned
Akay warned against the risk of Newroz being stripped of its content, stressing that it must be rebuilt with its full social and political meaning today. Akay said: “Newroz must not be reduced to a mere social ritual and emptied of its meaning. At the next Newroz, all social groups should come together with their own colors and flags, and a true celebration of democratic communes should take place, declaring the existence of a concrete system in opposition to capitalist modernity. Relations and habits that have lost their meaning must be abandoned. He says, ‘All forms of relationships that do not let go of us.’ Once again, emphasis is placed on meaningful relations, those that are democratic, libertarian, progressive, constructive, and formative. When it is said that life should be developed with a new understanding of ethics and aesthetics, it refers to the principle of speaking and acting in a right, good, and beautiful way.”
Akay also addressed the nature of politics, stating that democratic politics cannot be carried out through crude practices, but requires a creative and conscious approach. He said: “This is almost an introduction to the science of behavior. It does not grant coarseness to those who seek to build democratic politics and society. Practicing politics is an art, a matter of creativity. A similar perspective is emphasized in ‘Jin Jiyan Azadî’ (Woman, Life, Freedom), pointing to a developed consciousness, particularly in terms of women’s liberation. Without a new consciousness, nothing new can be built. Your practice reflects your consciousness. It must be said that existing problems stem from the lack of renewal in the consciousness of democratic society and politics.”
Ideological attacks were cast aside at Newroz
Akay assessed the overall picture of the 2026 Newroz, emphasizing that this process reflected not only a declaration of support but also a clear political orientation. He underlined that both the stance of the people and the need for the state to correctly interpret this picture are crucial.
He said: “The 2026 Newroz was magnificent in every respect. The people have endorsed the strategy of democratic politics, democratic integration, and the program for peace and a democratic society. They have also demonstrated, through their slogans and their stance, that they will stand by it on the right basis. Democratic politics and state institutions alike must recognize this reality.
Expectations and ideological attacks claiming that the strategy developed by Abdullah Öcalan would not find a response among the people, and that existing gains would lose their meaning, were cast aside at Newroz.”
The core issue is struggle and becoming a subject
Akay warned that the process will not advance on its own, but requires a serious level of organization and consciousness, stressing that shortcomings could be exploited by the ruling power and highlighting the importance of struggle and becoming an active subject.
He said: “Does this mean that everything will develop entirely on a positive basis? No. If a correct and democratic understanding of cadre and social relations is not developed; if the people are not made the subject of the process; if a democratic organizational model is not established without delay; if institutions that have lost their meaning or been emptied are not rebuilt, then the ruling bloc will take advantage of this situation. It will not only refrain from taking steps but will also attempt to eliminate existing rights. Therefore, this is a matter of struggle.
What will compel the state to take steps cannot be only the message of Abdullah Öcalan. The Newroz message is directed at the units of democratic society, at peoples and women. It is a call to correctly understand and implement the strategy of democratic politics. It is a call for struggle and organization against nationalism, sectarianism, attacks against women and nature, and possible coup mechanisms.”
Organization will determine the course of the struggle
Soydan Akay stated that the process should not be reduced to speculative debates, emphasizing that what will be decisive is social organization and regional dynamics. He said: “For this reason, we must push for a solution without placing expectations on centers of power, knowing that an organized society will endure. Therefore, in the period ahead, whether the state takes steps or not should not be reduced to a speculative discourse. Developments in the Middle East, along with the democratic organization and struggle of the peoples, will be decisive.”
The state moves toward a solution in the face of an organized society
Akay stressed that the political language of the new period must be correctly understood, noting that current conditions offer significant opportunities that are not being sufficiently utilized. He said: “To properly understand the political language and style used by Öcalan in leading this new period, we must interpret many factors together. Yes, we are in a ‘positive’ period. We are not struggling with weapons or wars. Major steps have been taken in this regard. Has this not created a positive environment? Tremendous opportunities have emerged. The state no longer intervenes in everything as it once did. But how much do we make use of this? This is what needs to be questioned.
Newroz has marked the beginning of a sustained struggle on a correct basis. We must, through discussion, develop entirely new forms of action, including reassessing those that have failed to produce results for years. However, the priority must be education and organization. Action already exists within an organized society. The state, too, moves toward a solution in the face of an organized society.”