Ahmet Türk, an independent Kurdish deputy from the southeastern province of Mardin, was hospitalized after inhaling pepper spray used by Turkish police to disperse a rowdy crowd that gathered to celebrate Novruz in Batman province, Turkey.

Batman / NationalTurk – Ahmet Türk, a Kurd, was hospitalized after a pepper gas canister hit a BDP (Kurdish) (Peace and Democracy Party) bus that was carrying Türk and other BDP executives. Initial reports revealed he is in good health.

In Turkey Novruz, a festival based on the vernal equinox, is mostly celebrated by Kurds and has been restricted to being celebrated on March 21 by the Turkish government. Ahmet Türk, elected to Turkish Parliament backed by the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP), was among the rowdy crowd who desired to celebrate Nevruz on Tuesday, as the vernal equinox occurred in the morning hours of Tuesday this year.

However, governor’s offices across Turkey had earlier declared that no Newruz celebrations would be allowed on any day other than Wednesday this year.