Thousands of Kurds gather in Istanbul for the Newroz celebrations, in which Kurds traditionally mark the beginning of spring. Those attending turn this gathering, the first large-scale demonstration after the deadly February 6 earthquake, into a platform to express their political will ahead of May's national elections -- which are considered to be a turning point not only for the future of the country, but also of the current president Recep Tayyip Erdogan. "For 23 years he has been ruling. Let him go, we don’t want him no more. As a young person, personally, I don’t want him" says Agit Bas, a 22-year-old Kurdish worker, as the “Government, resign!” slogan dominates the event from beginning to end. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES