At a memorial event in Dersim (tr. Tunceli), numerous people commemorated the execution of Seyîd Riza and his companions 88 years ago. The participants demanded the disclosure of the burial sites, an official apology from the Turkish state, and the recognition of the massacres of 1937/38 as genocide.
The event was organized by the civil society platform for work and democracy. Accompanied by pictures of those executed and a banner reading “Don’t forget our wise people,” the crowd marched through the city to the central Seyit Rıza Square. There, the victims were commemorated with religious rituals, speeches, and moments of silence.
The Dersim Genocide of 1937/38
The genocide in Dersim was an extermination operation carried out by the Turkish Republic against the predominantly Kurdish-Alevi population in the province of Dersim. It began in 1937 as part of a policy of repression by the early republic, which aimed at centralization and cultural homogenization.
Dersim was considered the last uncontrolled area in the “east” of Turkey, where traditional tribal structures, Alevi beliefs, and Kurdish identity held their own against the authoritarian modernization plans of the Kemalist leadership.
The so-called operation culminated in a massive military offensive in 1937/38, during which thousands of civilians were killed, villages destroyed, people deported, and children abducted. The number of victims varies depending on the source: officially, there are said to be around 13,000 dead, while independent estimates put the number of victims at up to 70,000.
The symbolic figure of the resistance was Seyîd Riza, a respected tribal leader and spiritual authority. Under the pretext of peace negotiations, he was lured into an ambush, arrested, and, after a summary trial, hanged on November 15, 1937, together with his youngest son and five comrades in Elazığ. The graves of those executed remain unknown to this day. There has never been an official apology for the massacres.
“An open wound in the collective memory”
In a statement, EMEP (Labour Party) politician Ergin Tekin recalled the historical significance of the events. The Dersim uprising, which was directed against the policy of homogenization and assimilation efforts, was brutally suppressed, and the executions in 1937 were carried out without any basis in the rule of law, he said. “Seyit Rıza and six other leading figures were convicted and executed in a show trial—without defense, without transparency. The gravesites, which remain unknown to this day, are symbolic of the refusal to come to terms with history,” Tekin said.
Tekin accused the Turkish state of pursuing a policy of assimilation shaped by the ideology of Turkish-Islamic nationalism. The Dersim genocide, he said, should not be viewed in isolation, but rather as part of a systematic suppression of Kurdish-Alevi identity that began with the Qoçgirî uprising (1921) and reached its peak in 1937/1938.
List of demands to the state
The platform demanded:
▪ the disclosure of the burial sites of Seyîd Riza and his companions,
▪ the restoration of the name Dersim to the province,
▪ the opening of state archives on the massacres,
▪ an official apology from the government,
▪ and recognition of what happened as genocide.
In addition, the platform demanded an end to systematic assimilation, forced resettlement, environmental destruction, and disregard for religious and cultural rights.
“Still no real reappraisal”
Kadriye Doğan, co-chair of the Association of Democratic Alevi Associations (DAD), criticized the fact that the balance of power in the region has not changed to this day: “Despite the majority Alevi population, state-organized mosques are being built. That is religious heteronomy.”
Doğan described the state’s treatment of Dersim as “ongoing disregard” and said: “If the democratic process is to become a reality,” she said with regard to the current Kurdish-Turkish dialogue, “we must get involved. It is our responsibility to stand up for justice.”
“The state must reconcile with Dersim”
Ali Rıza Bilir, chairman of the Federation of Dersim Associations (DEDEF), also called for an end to the state’s policy of repression. “In 1937, Dersim was systematically depopulated. Today, our nature is being destroyed and our identity suppressed. The political leadership must finally reconcile with the people of Dersim.” Bilir called for participation in an environmental demonstration planned for tomorrow, Sunday.
“We will not become the Alevis of the state”
The co-chair of the DBP (Democratic Regions Party), Çiğdem Kılıçgün Uçar, pointed to the ideological core of the approach at the time: “The state wanted to create a homogeneous national consciousness. Anyone who did not assimilate was considered a threat.”
Uçar emphasized the importance of cultural memory: “This earth is more than just a place—it is our memory, our history, our identity. Seyîd Riza’s execution was not only a historical event, but also a lasting trauma. Those who oppose justice today are partly responsible for the continuation of injustice.”
Uçar referred to Abdullah Öcalan’s call for peace and democratic society and emphasized: “Our tradition dictates that we treat all people with equal dignity—that is our foundation.”
“Dersim was, is, and remains a place of resistance.”
Finally, Tülay Hatimoğulları, co-chair of the DEM Party, took the floor. She also called for an official apology from the state and a comprehensive investigation into the Dersim genocide. “Without truth, there can be no justice. Without recognition, there can be no reconciliation.”
At the same time, she criticized the state’s “Alevi policy”: “What was announced as an opening has proven to be an empty promise. On the contrary: new forms of repression, religious control, and cultural appropriation are on the rise.”
Hatimoğulları emphasized that the government is trying to create a “state-loyal form” of Alevism—with institutions such as the newly created Culture and Cemevi Authority. “We refuse to become instruments of state ideology. We will protect our places of worship and our identity independently. Dersim was, is, and will remain a place of resistance.”