ANKARA, March 21 (A.A) - Culture Minister Istemihan Talay said on Thursday that Nevruz Festival is celebrated in a great geography from Central Asia to the Balkans for ages as a festival of spring, revival and happiness.
Speaking in a panel discussion on ''Nevruz Celebrations in Turkish World and Nevruz,'' held by Gazi University, Talay said that Azerbaijani Culture Minister Polad Bulbuloglu told him that Turkish peoples celebrated Nevruz Festival with great joy although it was banned during the Stalin era.
Turkey started to celebrate this festival after 1991 under the coordination of the Culture Ministry, said Talay.
Azerbaijani Culture Minister Bulbuloglu said in his part that ''Nevruz is the festival of peace and purity.''
Kyrgyz Ambassador to Turkey Medethan Serimov said in his part that Nevruz is a festival that continues for 4,000-5,000 years, adding that it is celebrated as an official festival in his country since 1991.
Azerbaijani Ambassador to Turkey Aliyev Mehmet Nevruzoglu said in his part that Nevruz should be celebrated as an official holiday in Turkey.
TRNC Ambassador to Turkey Ahmet Zeki Bulunc said in his part that Nevruz is the festival of love, solidarity, peace and friendship.
Moldovian Ambassador Victor Tvircun said in his part that Nevruz is also celebrated in his country and in various countries such as Romania, and Bulgaria.
Afghan Ambassador to Turkey Elmurad Argun said that Nevruz was an offical holiday in Afghanistan in the past, but it was prohibited by the Taliban administration. Nevruz started to be celebrated in Afghanistan this year, said Argun.
Turkmen Embassy's Undersecretary Annaguli Nurmehmet and Kazakh Embassy's Undersecretary Bakitcan Ordabayev said in their parts that Nevruz was a festival of different colours.
Sending a message to the panel discussion, Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said that ''Nevruz festival is celebrated by many societies in the Turkish world and it contributes to the development of national unity.''
Meanwhile, the students who came to Turkey from the Turkish Republics performed a show.
CULTURE MINISTER TALAY ''UNFORTUNATELY, NEVRUZ WAS EXPLOITED BY SOME CIRCLES IN TURKEY''
Culture Minister Istemihan Talay said on Thursday that unfortunately, Nevruz was exploited by some circles in Turkey.
The Culture Ministry hosted a reception at the Hilton Ankara upon the Nevruz Festival.
State Ministers Nejat Arseven and Hasan Gemici, National Education Minister Metin Bostancioglu, Deputy Parliament Speakers Murat Sokmenoglu and Kamer Genc, Felicity Party (SP) leader Recai Kutan, Justice and Development Party (AK Party) group acting leader Huseyin Celik, Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) deputy leader Sevket Bulent Yahnici, some deputies, and representatives of Turkish republics attended the reception.
When journalists said, ''Nevruz was started to be celebrated by the initiatives of the state after 1990 and asked if this had a special meaning,'' Talay said that Turkish world and Anatolian Turks were away from each other for years.
Talay noted that after the dissolution of former Soviet Union, there was a fast improvement in cultural relations.
Talay said that Turkey, as a state and nation, perceived Nevruz as a common festival and value with Turkish world.
''However, Nevruz was exploited by some circles in Turkey. Nevruz, which is a festival of friendship and brotherhood, was tried to be explained as a revolt, a row and a day of revolt and row. After we saw how Turkish people in Asia protected and supported this festival, we, as the state, felt ourselves responsible to accept consciousness of our people about Nevruz. Our responsibilities continue to increase in the last three or four years,'' Talay said.
Talay added, ''Nevruz is a festival of affection and brotherhood. Those who want to use this for ideologic purposes are making a big mistake to this festival and cultures that are living in friendship. To this end, we will show that we adopt this culture and protect it.''
ISTANBUL POLICE CHIEF OZDEMIR ''POLICE DETAINED 546 PEOPLE SO FAR DUE TO NEVRUZ CELEBRATIONS''
Istanbul Police Chief Hasan Ozdemir said on Thursday that police detained 546 people who held illegal demonstrations due to Nevruz festival.
Ozdemir told A.A correspondent that they did not intervene the Nevruz celebrations which were held legally in Istanbul.
He said, ''however, we intervened some groups who wanted to celebrate Nevruz festival illegally in some regions. We won't give permission to demonstrations which will destroy tranquility and the security of the province.''
Ozdemir said that they took into custody 546 people who held illegal demonstration so far and that number could increase.
He added that neither security teams nor demonstrators were injured during the interventions.
2 DEATH, 61 INJURED IN MERSIN DURING NEVRUZ CELEBRATIONS
MERSIN, March 21 (A.A) - Two people died in the incidents that occured in Mersin and added that 41 policemen and 20 demonstrators were injured in the illegal celebrations.
Security forces also used tear gas to disperse the group. Meanwhile, nine demonstrators were wounded.
The incidents were stopped by the intervention of the additional security forces and tight serucity measures were taken in the region.
A total of 80 demonstrators were taken into custody in connection with the incidents.
FOREIGN MINISTRY PLEASED WITH PREVENTION OF DEMONSTRATIONS OF PKK IN HUNGARY, BULGARIA AND ROMANIA
Foreign Ministry Spokesman Huseyin Dirioz said on Thursday that they were pleased with cooperation of Hungary, Bulgaria and Romania in prevention of demonstrations that the terrorist PKK organization had planned to carry out with the pretext of Nevruz celebrations.
Responding a question, Dirioz said that terrorist PKK organization had planned to hold several demonstrations abroad also this year in order to exploit March 21 Nevruz celebrations and change them into an anti-Turkey propaganda.
Dirioz said that a group of PKK supporters whom were called ''peace convoy'' by the terrorist organization had left Brussels on March 16 to come to the Kapikule Border Gate on March 20 via Germany, Austria, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria and they had planned to hold demostrations against Turkey at the border gate.
''This action could not draw interest and attraction at a level expected by the terrorist organization. Besides, they failed to carry out such an action as a result of the measures that Hungary and particulary Bulgaria and Romania took in line with our tripartite security cooperation and as a result of their determined attitudes. Turkey was pleased with these countries' implementations which indicate their determination in cooperation,'' he said.
Dirioz said that despite the cooperation of those three countries, the marginal circles in some western countries had extended support to this action or were involved in it in a way which contradicted with the international cooperation in fight against terrorism, and that they expressed regret over those developments.