More than then thousand Kurds gathered in a festival organized by the Lice Municipality in Diyarbakir to commemorate foundation of the Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK).

“Lice meets history” festival drew thousands of Kurds from neighboring cities. The small town was in Kurdish national colors –red, yellow and green- and Kurdish women wore traditional dresses. Banners reading “PKK”, “APO”, “KCK”, PKK” and posters of PKK leaders were hung outside the walls in most of the buildings.

PKK was founded in Fis village near Lice on 27 November 1978. PKK’s foundation was declared to the public after an attack to a local chief in Siverek a town of Urfa province, who was a symbol of traditional Kurdish agha authority who are in cooperation with Ankara.

Peace and Democracy Party’s (BDP) co-president Selahattin Demirtas, head of the BDP’s local branch Nijad Yaruk and mayor of Lice Fikriye Ayrin attended the festival.

Speaking to the crowd mayor Aytin said “Kurdish people faced destruction and ignorance politics for decades. We will stand with the spirit of resistance to this politics”.

Kurds celebrated the anniversary with traditional dances and songs for hours.