Happy Newroz!

The Kurdish new year festivities this year take place in an extremely tense situation with PKK and ISIS attacks in Ankara and Istanbul and a raging war between Turkish security forces and the terrorist Stalinists of the PKK in the country's Southeast. Newroz celebrations which naturally involve large crowds of people and therefore represent a natural target for terrorists - just as the Galatasaray - Fenerbahce derby that was in fact postponed due to security concerns.
Some fear that the government might use the terrorist threat to crack down on public displays of Kurdish culture and freedom of expression, as it has sometimes in the past. In Istanbul police reportedly detained people wanting to attend Newroz festivities, some were suspended against the wishes of the organizers.
With the beginning of a new (Kurdish) year its nonetheless time for some optimism. Let's hope that the PKK can be successfully eradicated, the rift in the Turkish society overcome and the terrorist threat well managed. Happy Newroz to all of you.