Nowruz, known as the Iranian New Year in the western world, is the beginning of the new year for some central Asia and Balkan countries, as well as the Kurds. On March 21, 2013, Nowruz became more than the beginning of the new year for the Kurds. In Turkey, it was perceived as the beginning of a new era not only for the Kurds but also for Turkey and the entire Middle East.

Nowruz was celebrated with unprecedented euphoria by nearly two million people in Diyarbakir, the center of southeastern Turkish — revelers danced in the streets adorned in yellow, green and red, the Kurdish national colors.

The difference between this year's and previous Nowruz celebrations was the expectation to hear a letter by Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan read out in two languages that everyone believed would be “historic.’’ He was expected to declare a “farewell to arms” and withdrawal of PKK’s military forces from Turkey.

That would effectively end what was described as a 30-year low-intensity war by a former Turkish Chief of General Staff. According to official lexicon of Turkey, terror would thus come to an end.