Gaziantep: President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sent a video message to the March 21 Nowruz Commemoration Program, expressing hope that the occasion would contribute to ending conflicts in the region.

According to Anadolu Agency, Erdogan delivered his message at the event held at Kamil Ocak Sports Hall in Trkiye's southeastern Gaziantep province. He congratulated those celebrating Nowruz across the 'heartland and cultural geography.' Erdogan described Nowruz as a harbinger of spring and a symbol of nature's rebirth, wishing that it brings peace, prosperity, and well-being to Trkiye, the broader region, and all humanity.

Erdogan expressed his pleasure in seeing Nowruz becoming a symbol of new beginnings not only for Trkiye but also for its neighbors. 'We gather around the Nowruz fire with the same feelings in all 81 provinces and across the Turkic world,' he stated. Erdogan highlighted that Nowruz has become a shared day to strengthen this sense of unity and noted that Trkiye will host the 13th summit of the Family Council in 2026, aiming to further build on this momentum.

Erdogan extended his greetings to 'all our friends and brothers from Azerbaijan to Kazakhstan, from Kyrgyzstan to Uzbekistan, from Turkmenistan to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and Hungary.' He also congratulated the people of Syria, Iraq, and Iran, who are currently facing challenges due to war, on Nowruz, expressing hope that this meaningful day will contribute to ending the wars in the region. 'I wish that the spring climate brought by Nowruz brings hope to our hearts, peace to our societies, and peace to our world,' he concluded.