Kumru Başer/JINHA

AMED - Freelance journalist Kumru Başer came to Diyarbakır to hold "news vigil" to be solidarity with journalists who work in Kurdistan under pressure and attacks. Kumru wrote her impression of Diyabakır Newroz in Hanife Ak's eyes whose home was burned in 1992 in Bizmil.

The crowd flocked to Newroz was diffirent from last three years. Silent, serious and stable faces passed in front of me. They passed for hours and they filled the area. One day before, I thought no one would attend the celebration of Newroz. Everyone on the social media wrote that there would be suicide attack on Newroz so no one would attend the celebration of Newroz.

Meanwhile, some people reacted to the celebration of Newroz while many people were killed. However, Newroz took me aback like many other people. I worked with JINHA within the scope of "news vigil". I wanted to listen and learn what women feel and think when they go to Newroz. Because, you can understand everything better when you talk to women.

I will remember this year's Newroz with Hanife Ak. Hanife is a woman aged 25-30 years old. I talked to her all day. She came to Newroz area with her sister and mother. She had to close her small tailor shop due to bad situation of the business. I asked them if they worried to come to Newroz. They said, "I come to celebration of Newroz even if I am killed. They have declared us as terrorist. The world knows that but they don't protect us." She started to cry. However, she continued to talk by saying, "They demolished Dersim, Zilan and everywhere. They demolished Cizre and Sur. We will never forget that. We are here today to spite them. The fire inside us and the feeling inside us will never die. Look, I cannot stop myself from crying."

Then she continued to talk again, "I lost my brother and father in 1992. They burned my village. We are from the Göksu villag of Bismil. They tortured my father to death. Today, I am 40 years-old. Can I forget my father? Can I forget my brother? Can I forget my village?"Her sister and mother started to cry when Hanife talked about her father and brother. Halife continued to talk by saying, "They can kill all of us by using chemical gas. They must annihilate all Kurds or we will ask our right to the end. My name is Hanife Ak. You can write it wherever you want. I am not scared of death. We are mortal. It doesn't matter if I live or not If I cannot use my language and if I don't have my culture. I want peace peace peace. I don't want the soldiers and guerrilla be killed."

How can this be?

Halife answered; "It can be when the people leave the state and protect themselves. If the people protect themselves, the state cannot do anything. However, Turkish people remain ignorant because the media says them the lies. If we protect ourselves, we can solve everything."

I wanted to go to Newroz area. They told me, "take care of yourself" I thought this words for a while.

(gc/gd)