Bonfire of the vanities: Selfies and security at Kurdish new year festivities

A woman takes a selfie in front of a bonfire as Turkish Kurds gather during Newroz celebrations for the new year in Diyarbakir, south-eastern Turkey. Newroz is an ancient Persian festival which is also celebrated by Kurdish people, marking the first day of spring. Thousands of supporters of a prokurdish party also gathered yesterday in Istanbul, amid a heavy security presence, to celebrate the Kurdish New Year and attend a campaign rally for local elections. The Newroz fire, which symbolizes purification and the arrival of spring, was burning in Istanbul following days of celebrations in south-eastern Turkey.