In 1935 with a new law, the name “Dersim” is forbidden and the region received an else name, with a certain irony : “Tunceli”, i.e “Bronze hand” in Turkish. After preparations, the Turkish army, in 1937, went in the “Country of Oak people”», Dersim. The leader of the resistance, Seyit Riza, is arrested and executed in November 18th 1937, though he was 81 years old and law banned to execute a such old person. The operation last 2 years and had tragic results for the country : 80 000 deads and thousands of people deported to Western-Anatolia to allow their assimilation. For the first time, mountains of Dersim, considered as sacred for their inhabitants, abandoned Dersimi to their fate. They tasted defeat.

In the heart of the region, there is the chain of Munzur Moutains, of which the highest summit reaches 3462 meters. the river which crosses has the same name. Dersim presents an exceptionnal bio-diversity. Considering the richness of the country, on December 21th 1971, Turkish state gave to Munzur Valley the status of the « first national park in Turkey » and it is the largest of all the country. Valley is long of 80 kilometers. In Munzur Mountains, there are 1518 species of plants, among which 227 exist only in Turkey and 43 only in Munzur Valley. The natural richness of Dersim is equal as a whole country’s one… In the valley and Munzur chain we find too an important fauna, with species threatened to extinction, as brown bear, wild cat, wild sheep, moutainer goat with fang-horns ; in the river live red-scales trouts.

Dersim is then a rich land, but it is not protected against a possible disaster. This time, the region is threatened by an ecological catastrophe. For the Turkish state aims to build in the Munzur Valley eight dams and hydroelectric power stations. What could bring the construction of such dams to the region ? They’ll furnish 0,97 % of the total production in electricity for Turkey. What will be the consequences ?

In first, 84 villages will be drowned under water dams and it will cause irrevocable damage for the area which already lost a great part of its population because of the policy of depopulation practised by the Turkish State during its war against the Kurdish guerilleros in 1990s.

Secundly the region will be shared in 2 and then will lost its geographical unity, with the risk to create many economical and cultural problems.

Thirdly, radical changes of climate will happen and the endemic plants, the rare animals will lose their habitat, therefore will disappear. Finally, the Valley of Munzur, formed in 42 millions of years according to specialists, will be entirely destroyed. Experts think that a dam last in average 70 years, and after these years, only ruins will remain, instead of the the paradisiac beauty of the valley.

We hope that these exhibition of pictures could will give you an idea of the region, that we love like Seyit Riza did.”

Dersim Forum

Auteur - yazari: PSD Tarih, gün ve saat : 15. Mayis 2005 18:06:41:

PSD`s Attitude to the Armenian Question
In its statement on April 24, Partiya Serbestiya Dersimi/Freedom Party of Dersim (PSD) takes a clear stand on Armenian question.
PSD condemns the Armenian genocide and demands the acknowledgement of it.
In addition to this, the following demand is also underlined in the statement:
"Armenians wishing to return to their historic motherland must be given the right to do so, with all their democratic rights secured".
This is a position opposed to that of nationalists groups or parties of all kind.
We will stay in solidarity with Armenians and keep calling others to do the same.

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The collapse of the Ottomans had left a power vacuum, filled by another section of the Turkish nationalists, called Kemalists at a later time.
In 1937-38, i.e., at a time when world attention was focused on the Second World War, the Turkish nationalists commited another genocide. This time the victims were Dersimis, who are also known as Kýzýlbash or Alevis. Approximately 40.000-70.000 of them were killed and thousands were taken into exile. The Dersim Genocide of 1937-1938 was on one hand a continuation of the Kýzýlbash extermination of the Ottoman times and also an extermination of an ethnically distinct and separate people from Turks.
What happened back then has been handed down to the later generations by their parents and grand-parents, who witnessed the onslaught, and of whom some are still alive.
Furthermore the sites of the mass graves all over Dersim are well known and can easily be located if and when need be. The ruins of the country`s cultural heritage including churches belonged to the nations`s Christian section are still visible.
People wish to see the justice served. A search for justice has already began. A legal action against Turkey will at long last be taken at some time in the future.
We, the signatures below, demand justice and support the initiatives aiming to bring Turkey to justice.

Dersim Forum

 

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