The Dersim Massacre

Introduction:

The Dersim Massacre is one of the most horrific state-led atrocities in Kurdish history, carried out between May 4, 1937, and September 1, 1938, during the rule of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. This massacre led to the deaths of an estimated 50,000 to 70,000 Zaza Kurdish Alevi people by the Turkish state and remains one of the darkest chapters in the history of Kurdistan.

1. Historical Background:

• Establishment of the Turkish Republic (1923):
  • The Republic of Turkey was established in 1923, and Atatürk’s policies were based on Turkish nationalism.
  • These policies included the suppression of ethnic and religious identities, particularly targeting Kurds and Alevis.
• Sheikh Said Rebellion (1925):
  • Sheikh Said Piran, a Kurdish leader in Diyarbakir, led a rebellion against Atatürk’s government.
  • The rebellion was brutally suppressed, and Sheikh Said, along with several family members, was publicly executed in Diyarbakir.
• Settlement Law (1934):
  • In 1934, the Turkish government enacted a law aimed at ethnic cleansing and the Turkification of Kurdish regions.
  • This law laid the foundation for the Dersim Massacre and the forced relocation of Kurds.

2. The Seyid Riza Rebellion (1937-1938):

• Leader of the Rebellion:
  • Seyid Riza, a prominent Zaza Kurdish Alevi leader, led the resistance against Turkification policies and forced displacements.
• Causes of the Rebellion:
  • Opposition to the 1934 Settlement Law
  • Resistance against the forced displacement of Kurds
  • Rejection of the destruction of Alevi sacred sites and cultural centers

Despite his efforts, Seyid Riza and his family members were captured and executed. The execution of Seyid Riza became a turning point, symbolizing the end of the resistance and the beginning of a large-scale massacre against the people of Dersim.

3. Military Operations:

• Aerial Bombardment:
  • During the Seyid Riza rebellion, Sabiha Gökçen, Atatürk’s adopted daughter and Turkey’s first female combat pilot, carried out extensive bombing operations against the Alevi Zaza regions in Dersim.
  • These bombings resulted in the complete destruction of several villages and the mass killing of civilians.
• Ground Assaults:
  • Turkish ground forces forced civilians into caves and shelters and then used toxic gases to carry out mass killings.
  • Thousands of families were trapped and suffocated to death inside caves.
  • İhsan Sabri Çağlayangil, a Turkish police officer, later admitted in a recorded statement that the military used toxic gases similar to chemical weapons to kill the trapped civilians.

4. Violence Against Women and Children:

• Sexual Violence and Executions:
  • According to survivor testimonies, many women and girls were subjected to brutal sexual violence.
  • Those who resisted were tortured and executed.
• Forced Assimilation and Child Abductions:
  • Many children were forcibly taken to Turkish families to erase their Kurdish identity.
  • Numerous women and young girls who survived were forced to work as domestic servants in Turkish households.
  • These girls were stripped of their original identities and forced to adopt Turkish names, language, and religion.
  • Some of these women remained in captivity for years, unable to find their families or reclaim their true identities.

5. Name Change and Cultural Cleansing:

• Changing Dersim to Tunceli:
  • After suppressing the rebellion, the Turkish government officially renamed Dersim to Tunceli.
  • The objective was to erase the Kurdish and Alevi identity of the region.
• Destruction of Cultural Heritage:
  • Alevi temples, shrines, and Kurdish cultural monuments were destroyed.
  • The Kurdish language was banned, and Turkish was enforced as the official language.

6. Statistics and Figures:

• Number of Killed:
  • Kurdish Sources: 50,000 – 70,000 people
  • Turkish Sources: 12,000 people
• Number of Displaced:
  • Over 700,000 people were forcibly relocated to cities like Manisa, Denizli, Eskişehir, and Balıkesir.
  • Many died en route or in resettlement camps.

7. Documents and Archives:

• Secret Documents:
  • The Turkish archives contain classified documents regarding the Dersim Massacre, including the orders for the May 4, 1937, attacks.
  • These documents remain largely inaccessible and are still considered state secrets.
• Testimonies and Confessions:
  • In a recorded statement, İhsan Sabri Çağlayangil admitted that toxic gases were used against civilians in caves during the Dersim operation.
  • He also described how men, women, and children were beheaded and buried in mass graves.

8. International Reactions:

• Erdogan’s Apology (2011):
  • On November 23, 2011, then Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan issued a formal apology, describing the Dersim Massacre as one of the darkest chapters in modern Turkish history.
  • Despite the apology, Erdoğan rejected demands by Alevi organizations to establish Cem Houses (Alevi religious centers).
  • Additionally, the request to restore the name Dersim was also denied.
  • No financial compensation was provided to the families of the victims, and Erdoğan’s apology was perceived as a mere political gesture rather than a genuine attempt to seek justice.

9. Dersim Today:

• Annual Commemoration:
  • Every year on May 4, the people of Dersim gather at Qamer Cave to commemorate the victims of the massacre.
• Unresolved Justice:
  • Even after 88 years, many survivors are still searching for information about their missing family members and continue to demand justice.

10. Conclusion:

The Dersim Massacre remains a tragic and unresolved chapter in Kurdish history. Despite Erdoğan’s apology, the Turkish state has yet to fully acknowledge the scale of the atrocities or compensate the victims.
Establishing a dedicated section on the KGNA website to document the Dersim Massacre could serve as a critical step in preserving the memory of the victims and advocating for justice.
This section could include testimonies, archival documents, and survivor interviews, creating a platform to keep Dersim’s memory alive and support ongoing justice efforts.

✅ Books and Human Rights Sources:

Human Rights Watch:

• “State of Denial: Turkey’s Efforts to Conceal the Dersim Massacre.”
• Comprehensive report on the Turkish state’s suppression of archival records and denial of the genocide.

United Nations Archives:

• Reports on human rights violations against ethnic minorities in Turkey, including the Dersim Massacre.

International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS):

• “Dersim 1937-1938: A Forgotten Genocide.”
• Proceedings and papers from international genocide conferences focusing on Dersim.

Genocide Studies Journal:

• Special issue on “The Dersim Massacre and Ethnic Cleansing in Turkey.” 2018.

Amnesty International:

• “Turkey: Forgotten Voices – The Survivors of Dersim Speak.”
• Collection of survivor testimonies and human rights assessments.