KU RDISH INSTITUTE OF BRUSSELS: To the Attention of Press and Public
"=3BDERSIM '=3B38 CONFERANCE"=3B
To the Attention of Press and Public "DERSIM ’38 CONFERANCE"
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KIB – on 15 October, 2008 10:47:00
It’s the 70th anniversary of the Dersim Genocide. Although 70 years
have passed since the genocide by the Turkish Government in Dersim in
1937-38, this massacre has never been forgotten nor will it be
forgotten as the culprits have not been brought out into light.
Dersim massacre started with the Turkish Republic regime presenting
Dersim as a target by stating "Dersim is a ‘Pandora’s Box’".
First by means that aren’t very common the name of Dersim was changed
to ‘Tunceli in 1935.
In order to carry out this massacre, the Council of Ministers came
together in Ankara on 4 May 1937 and formed ‘Tunceli Questioning
Operation’ Council of Ministers and signed the half a page document
classed as "Top Secret" which was the order for the Dersim massacre.
According to the official figures 12 thousand people were massacred in
the Dersim Genocide. According to the people of Dersim 70 thousand
people were massacred. After this atrocious act thousand of people
were banished from their homeland.
On 16 November 1937, Seyit Riza who was one of the Kurdish leaders and
seven of his comrades were hanged in Elazig. Despite all attempts by
the families, the grave sites of Seyit Riza and his comrades still
haven’t been disclosed.
Dersim Genocide is not the only genocide the Republican Turkey has
committed towards Kurds and Alevis. During the reign of the Ottoman
emperor Ahmet I. between 9 December 1606 and 5 August 1611, the "fire
wells" of ‘Murat Pasha the Well digger’ who had murdered almost 100
thousand Kurdish Kizilbash Alevis, are still remembered by many. The
problem Yavuz Sultan Selim couldn’t solve in 1514 by murdering 40
thousand people by sword was attempted to be solved during 1935-1938
in Dersim once again by a massacre.
The 1938 tragedy has not only left behind the dead, the wounded and
banishments, it has left behind a depopulated region whose name and
all presence has been banned. The Dersim Kurds has faced a planned,
systematic genocide and an extremely cruel assimilation process
because of their=3B identity, language, culture and religious beliefs.
The "one language and one nation" policy of the Republic of Turkey
that continues in today’s society as been the source of serious
massacres first in Kocgiri, then at Seyh Said Revolt, at Zilan and at
Dersim.
During the Dersim Genocide the Turkish government has massacred
thousands of people, those who survived were banished, Dersim was
depopulated. The cause of these merciless acts was being Kurdish,
Alevi and Kizilbash. Although 70 years have passed, Turkey is not
willing to acknowledge this Genocide like many other Kurdish
Genocides. Those responsible for the deaths of thousands of people
have never been tried nor have they been brought out into light. The
broken families could never discover their past. Thousands of people
still haven’t received news from their families and close friends. The
whereabouts of the Kurdish children taken by the Turkish Government at
the time are unknown. Many other world counties who have had a similar
experiences and committed genocide against its people have
acknowledged the injustice and sorrow they have caused and have
apologised. However Turkey is continuing to resist and use "it does
not exist" strategy with the Kurdish Genocide just as they have with
the Armenian Genocide. Latin America called it "Making Peace"=3B the
Japan called it "Leaving the past behind"=3B Italy had the "Cleaning
Operation"=3B Austria took up "Nazi Cooperation"=3B Switzerland faced
the "Nazi Accounts" and the "Nazi Gold". Australia said "Sorry" to the
Aborigines. Canada did the same for the Quebecois. South Africa put an
end do the racist regime of Apartheid. This and similar examples prove
that it is only possible to cleanse ourselves from the outworn traces
and influences of the past by abandoning ‘denial’ and ‘destroying
strategies’. As evident by these examples, the road to living together
in peace goes through a democratic mentality transformation.
However, Turkey has not abandoned its desire for massacre, which it
uses as a government policy. Kurdish regions are still being bombed,
villages are being emptied, people being murdered because of their
identity and culture. To remind the world public of Dersim Genocide in
its 70th year, we are organising the "Dersim ’38 Conference" at the
European Parliament on 13 November 2008. We will be there to face our
history, to show that we have not forgotten nor will forget our
ancestors and mothers who had been massacred.
We convey that the solution for our difference is not to kill or to
die as it was the case in the Dersim Genocide and various other
Kurdish Revolts, but to be seen as cultural richness. The solution for
the Kurdish problem can be achieved not by denial or annihilation but
by a peaceful approach. However, having a safe and secure future can
be achieved if the government can face its past. Otherwise this pain
and trauma will not end and it will not contribute to the solution to
this problem.
Armenians, Greeks, Kurds, Jews, Alevis-Kizilbashes, Syrians,
Assyrians, all citizens of Turkey and those who were classed as "the
other" are the real owners of this move for Turkey to accept its past.
It is for this reason the Association of Reconstruction of Dersim is
organising a conference regarding the Dersim ’38 Genocide at the EU
Parliament with the left party acting as the host.
We invite all EU counties, UN, civil public organisations and Kurdish
people to show sympathy to this conference which will take place on 13
November 2008.