After Öcalan’s long-awaited call, the people of Diyarbakır left the square with mixed emotions. The early Newroz excitement had given way to a sense of *bittersweet joy* and *uncertainty.*
In Diyarbakır, the largest Kurdish-majority city, people began gathering early around Dağkapı Square yesterday, eagerly awaiting PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan’s statement. The weather was warmer compared to previous days, with the sun shining brightly overhead. There was a Newroz-like excitement in the air.
Some were singing songs, while lively groups of young people laughed and chatted. Nearby, elderly women wearing white headscarves sat on the grass and benches, watching the crowd.
One of those women spoke to a journalist: “My daughter, I am a mother—how could I not want peace? How could any mother not want peace? I am hopeful. Today is a historic day for us.”
At Hürriyet Büfe in the square, people sipping tea speculated about what might happen: “Whatever step is taken for peace, let it be taken,” one said. Another added, “They say there will be a video today. We’ll finally see, inshallah.”
Some had traveled in from other districts, but many were frustrated at the last-minute notice: “There will be dozens of people missing out on such a historic moment.”
Source: BIANET
