Zilan massacre
Encyclopedia
Zilan massacre or Zilan Valley massacre , refers to the massacre
of the Kurdish
residents of Turkey
during the Ararat rebellion, in which 800-1500 armed men participated.
It took place in the Zilan or Zeylan valley (Kurdish: Geliyê Zîlan, Turkish: Zilan Deresi, Zeylân Deresi) located to the north of the town of Erciş
in Van Province
in July 1930 before Third Ararat Operation (Turkish: Üçüncü Ağrı Harekâtı, September 7–14, 1930) that was a military operation of Turkish IX Corps under the command of Ferik (lieutenant general
) Salih (Omurtak)
against Mount Ararat
. According to the daily newspaper Cumhuriyet
dated July 16, 1930, about 15,000 people, according to Hesen Hîşyar Serdî (1907-September 14, 1985, a participant to the Ararat rebellion and writer), 47,000 villagers from 18 villages of Ademan, Sipkan, Zilan and Hesenan tribes, according to Garo Sasuni (an Armenian researcher), 5,000 women, children and the elderly were massacred. According to Berliner Tageblatt
, the Turks in the area of Zilan destroyed 220 villages and massacred 4,500 women and the elderly..
After Sheikh Said rebellion
, on September 24, 1925, the Turkish government prepared the "Reform Plan for the East" (Turkish: Şark Islahat Planı) that provided for special administrative arrangements for the Eastern areas and introduced the Inspector-General
system. With this plan, Kurdish aristocrats and religious leaders were forced to be relocated to other parts of Turkey. On July 17, 1927, with the "Law on the Transfer of Certain People from Eastern Regions to the Western Provinces" (Turkish: Bazı Eşhasın Şark Menatıkından Garp Vilâyetlerine Nakillerine Dair Kanun), the target of the forced migration
was extended.
On October 5, 1927, in Greater Lebanon, Xoybûn
was founded by former members of Kurdish nationalist organisations like Kürdistan Teali Cemiyeti, Kürt Millet Fırkası, Comite de Independence Kurde, together with Kurdish intellectuals who took refuge in Iraq
, Iran
ve Syria
, with help of former members of Dashnaktsutyun
. In 1927 Hoybûn that was led by Celadet Alî Bedirxan, Kamuran Alî Bedirxan, Ekrem Cemilpaşa, Memdûh Selîm and so on, decided to promote Ihsan Nuri
, a former officer in the Ottoman and Turkish armies, to general (pasha) and sent to Erzurum
with 20 comrade. They published a newspaper named Agirî and declared independence of the Republic of Ararat
in 1927. In October 1927, Xoybûn made appeals to the Great Powers and the League of Nations
, and appointed Ibrahim Haski, who was one of the chieftains of Jalali
tribe, to the governor of Aigrî.
On December 29, 1929, Mustafa Kemal
(Atatürk) led the cabinet meeting with paticipations of the Chief of the General Staff Fevzi Çakmak
and İbrahim Tali (Öngören), the general inspector of the First Inspectorate-General
. It was adopted the cabinet decision (No. 8692., Dated 29.12.1929.) that the military operation against Mount Ararat would be started in June 1930.
On January 7, 1930, General Staff of the Republic of Turkey sent order to IX Coprs (as follows) with the text of the cabinet dicision itself:
was appointed the commander of IX Corps (to May 8, 1934). On June 11, 1930, armed hostilities were initiated by Turkish military against the Ararat insurgents. Xoybûn appealed for help for Kurds throughout Kurdistan. İhsan Nuri sent to Îbrahîm Aga an offensive order dated June 18, 1930. A Turkish Captain Zühtü (Güven), who was an officer of 2nd Mobile Gendarmerie Battalion at Iğdır, got this order from a Kurdish rebel. That is why much to the Turks' dismay, the insurgents were answered on a wide front, Turks temporarily to abandon their offensive against Mount Ararat.
On June 19–20, 1930, hundreds of rebels led by Kör Hüseyin Pasha (former commander of the North group of the Hamidiye regiments
)'s sons and Emin Pasha's sons crossed the border from Persia, cut the telegraph line between Çaldıran and Beyazit
. More than one hundred of them raided the center of Zeylan district and the station of gendarmier. They made their own tribesmen of the district join to them. This Kurdish offensive and offensives at Patnos
, Çaldıran will be named the Zeylan Rebellion (Zeylân İsyanı or Zeylân Ayaklanması) by the Turkish authority.
According to general Salih's official report dated July 2, 1930 about the situations of the north of the Lake Van
, 350-400 rebels led by Kör Hüseyin's sons and Eminpasha's sons were at Patonos area surrounded by Sofu Mustafa - Kâni - Yukarı Romik - Çakırbey - Gürgüre - Haçlı - Koru - Harabe Kürk - Çavuş villages. All of villagers supported them. About 400 rebels led by Seyit Resul were at Zeylân area surrounded by Şurik - Su Souk - Kadir Asker - Münevver - Sivik - Ağı - Dedeli - Şeytan Ava villages. All of villagers supported them. Obscure number of rebels led by Yusuf Abdal were at Çaldıran area surrounded by Aşağı Çilli - Şeyh Rumi - Alikelle - Haçan - Kaymaz - Şeyh Sucu villages.
that was the Turkey's most widely read daily paper in 1930-1940s, reported the cleaning in districts of Erciş, Mount Süphan
and Zeylân was completely finished by telephone on July 12, 1930.
44 villages in Zilan canyon: Hesenebdal (Hasanabdal), Axs (Eqis, Doluca), Şarbazar (Şehirpazar), Doxancî (Doğancı), Tendûrek (Gergili), Çaxirbeg (Çakırbey), Îlanlî (Yılanlı), Harhus, Babazik (Aksakal), Komir (Kömür), Şor (Taşkapı), Şorik, Merşîd (Mürşit), Mescidlî (Mescitli), Qerekilîse (Işbaşı, Sabanbüken), Gunduk (Kündük), Zorava (Yöreli), Eryatîn (Aryutin), Kevan (Hallacköy), Qoçkoprî (Koçköprü), Kurûçem (Çemê Ziwa, Kuruçem), Milk (Mülk), Yekmal û Kilîse (Yalındam), Gosk, Partaşa Jêrîn (Aşağı Partaş ), Partaşa Jorîn (Yukarı Partaş), Binesi, Bunizi, Pilaqlî, Keix, Sigûdlî (Sögütlü), Mığare, Qardoxan (Kardoğan), Kele (Evbeyli), Ûstekar (Ağırkaya), Sivar (Süvarköy), Qizîlkilîse (Kızılkilise), Ziyaret, Hiraşen, Qomik, Şeytanava, Birhan (Bürhan) and Yukarı Koçköprü were fired and burned by Turkish troops. Villagers were tied to each other and killed by machine gun
s of a detachment under the command of Captain Derviş Bey.
According to the daily Cumhuriyet
dated July 16, 1930, about 15,000 people was killed and Zilan River was filled with dead bodies as far as its mouth.
On July 15, 1930, İbrahim Tali (Öngören), the general inspector of the First Inspectorate-General, explained that annihilation was performed by troops with people's help, more than thousand militias were lost, villagers who helped rebels were also annihilated.
The Foreign Office
reported The conviction here is that the Turkish "success" near Ergish and Zilan were really gained over a few armed men
and a large percentage of non-combatant
s.
According to Mehmet Pamak's grandfather, thousands of people, men, women, children and aged and their massacre by machine-gun fire, blood flowed out of that valley for days. Pamak's aunt (baby) and his 80-year-old great-grandmother were bayonet
ed to death.
According to Kakil Erdem who is one of the living eyewitnesses of the Zilan Massacre, thirty five relatives of him were killed, soldiers cut and opened abdomen of pregnant women. In front of his eyes, three relatives of him were scalped and two brothers of him were beaten with woods to death.
published the declaration of the Turkish prime minister İsmet İnönü
: Only the Turkish nation has the right to demand ethnic
and racial
rights in this country. Any other element does not have such a right. They are Eastern Turkish who were deceived by unfounded propaganda and eventually lost their way.
After massacre real estates at the Zilan canyon were given to collaborationist Kurdish militias, ones at the basin of the Zilan River were given to Cevher Efendi and his sons Süleyman and İdris, ones at the basin of Hacıderi river that is the tributary of the Zilan were given to Sidîqê Hesenkecelê. A observation post
was constructed at the confluence of the Zilan and Hacıderi rivers and settlements were prohibited. In 1980 region was opened to settlement and refugees from Afghanistan were relocated to Hasanabdal.
, for the first time, learned about and discussed the massacres of the Kurds, such as the Zilan massacre of 1930, the Dersim Massacre
in 1938 and the Thirty three bullets massacre when he published a journal entitled Dicle Kaynağı (Tigris Spring) with three other friends from Dicle Student Dormitory in 1948.
Yaşar Kemal
, who is one of Turkey's leading writers, got to know "Zilan Valley Massacre" during interviews in 1950s and was influenced by the massacre. He described massacres in his novel entitled Deniz Küstü ("The Sea-Crossed Fisherman", 1978). The protagonist of the novel Selim Balıkçı participated in the Ararat campaigns, was wounded on the face and transferred to Cerrahpaşa Hospital (İstanbul) for treatment.
working for Dicle News Agency, interviewed 94-year-old living eyewitness Kakil Erdem and published it with the title of "Zilan Katliamı'nın Tanığı Konuştu" (Witness of Zilan Massacre Talks). The Van 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance tried for "inciting hatred and hostility". In 2009, each of them received 1 year 6 months prison sentences.
Massacre
A massacre is an event with a heavy death toll.Massacre may also refer to:-Entertainment:*Massacre , a DC Comics villain*Massacre , a 1932 drama film starring Richard Barthelmess*Massacre, a 1956 Western starring Dane Clark...
of the Kurdish
Kurdish people
The Kurdish people, or Kurds , are an Iranian people native to the Middle East, mostly inhabiting a region known as Kurdistan, which includes adjacent parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey...
residents of Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
during the Ararat rebellion, in which 800-1500 armed men participated.
It took place in the Zilan or Zeylan valley (Kurdish: Geliyê Zîlan, Turkish: Zilan Deresi, Zeylân Deresi) located to the north of the town of Erciş
Ercis
Ercis may refer to:* Erciş, a district of Van province in the east of Turkey* European Research Center for Information Systems...
in Van Province
Van Province
Van Province is a province in eastern Turkey, between Lake Van and the Iranian border. It is 19,069 km2 in area and had a population of 1,035,418 at the end of 2010....
in July 1930 before Third Ararat Operation (Turkish: Üçüncü Ağrı Harekâtı, September 7–14, 1930) that was a military operation of Turkish IX Corps under the command of Ferik (lieutenant general
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
) Salih (Omurtak)
Salih Omurtak
Salih Omurtak was a Turkish general and the fourth Chief of the General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces.-Biography:He was born 1889 in Salonica , then within the Ottoman Empire. He graduated from the Military College in 1907 with the rank of a lieutenant...
against Mount Ararat
Mount Ararat
Mount Ararat is a snow-capped, dormant volcanic cone in Turkey. It has two peaks: Greater Ararat and Lesser Ararat .The Ararat massif is about in diameter...
. According to the daily newspaper Cumhuriyet
Cumhuriyet
Cumhuriyet is a centre-left Turkish daily newspaper, founded on May 7, 1924 by journalist Yunus Nadi Abalıoğlu. Based in Istanbul, it has been situated since October 17, 2005 in Mecidiyeköy. Cumhuriyet was the last newspaper to leave the old press district Cağaloğlu...
dated July 16, 1930, about 15,000 people, according to Hesen Hîşyar Serdî (1907-September 14, 1985, a participant to the Ararat rebellion and writer), 47,000 villagers from 18 villages of Ademan, Sipkan, Zilan and Hesenan tribes, according to Garo Sasuni (an Armenian researcher), 5,000 women, children and the elderly were massacred. According to Berliner Tageblatt
Berliner Tageblatt
The Berliner Tageblatt or BT was a German language newspaper published in Berlin from 1872-1939. Along with the Frankfurter Zeitung, it became one of the most important liberal German newspapers of its time.-History:...
, the Turks in the area of Zilan destroyed 220 villages and massacred 4,500 women and the elderly..
Background
After Sheikh Said rebellion
Sheikh Said rebellion
Sheikh Said Rebellion was a rebellion of a Kurdish clergy Sheikh Said and a group of former Kurdish Hamidieh soldiers in 1925.-Background:The Azadî was dominated by officers from the former Hamidiye, a Kurdish tribal militia established...
, on September 24, 1925, the Turkish government prepared the "Reform Plan for the East" (Turkish: Şark Islahat Planı) that provided for special administrative arrangements for the Eastern areas and introduced the Inspector-General
Inspectorates-General (Turkey)
Inspectorates-General or General Inspectorates was a regional governorship whose authorities prevailed over civilian, military and judicial institutions under their domain of the direct command of Mustafa Kemal in order to establishing authoritarian rule and to consolidate the authority in the...
system. With this plan, Kurdish aristocrats and religious leaders were forced to be relocated to other parts of Turkey. On July 17, 1927, with the "Law on the Transfer of Certain People from Eastern Regions to the Western Provinces" (Turkish: Bazı Eşhasın Şark Menatıkından Garp Vilâyetlerine Nakillerine Dair Kanun), the target of the forced migration
Forced migration
Forced migration refers to the coerced movement of a person or persons away from their home or home region...
was extended.
On October 5, 1927, in Greater Lebanon, Xoybûn
Xoybûn
Xoybûn or Khoyboun , meaning oneself/being oneself in Kurdish language, was a Kurdish nationalist organization that is known with Ararat rebellion commanded by Ihsan Nuri.-Establishment:...
was founded by former members of Kurdish nationalist organisations like Kürdistan Teali Cemiyeti, Kürt Millet Fırkası, Comite de Independence Kurde, together with Kurdish intellectuals who took refuge in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
ve Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
, with help of former members of Dashnaktsutyun
Armenian Revolutionary Federation
The Armenian Revolutionary Federation is an Armenian political party founded in Tiflis in 1890 by Christapor Mikaelian, Stepan Zorian, and Simon Zavarian...
. In 1927 Hoybûn that was led by Celadet Alî Bedirxan, Kamuran Alî Bedirxan, Ekrem Cemilpaşa, Memdûh Selîm and so on, decided to promote Ihsan Nuri
Ihsan Nuri Pasha
Ihsan Nuri, also known as Ihsan Nuri Pasha was a Kurdish soldier and politician. Former officer of the Ottoman and Turkish Army. One of leaders of the Ararat rebellion as the generalissimo of the Kurdish National Forces.-Early life:Ihsan Nuri was born in the house of his father Elî Qulî in Bitlis...
, a former officer in the Ottoman and Turkish armies, to general (pasha) and sent to Erzurum
Erzurum
Erzurum is a city in Turkey. It is the largest city, the capital of Erzurum Province. The city is situated 1757 meters above sea level. Erzurum had a population of 361,235 in the 2000 census. .Erzurum, known as "The Rock" in NATO code, served as NATO's southeastern-most air force post during the...
with 20 comrade. They published a newspaper named Agirî and declared independence of the Republic of Ararat
Republic of Ararat
The Republic of Ararat or Kurdish Republic of Ararat was a self-proclaimed Kurdish state. It was located in the northeasten part of modern Turkey, being centered on Karaköse Province...
in 1927. In October 1927, Xoybûn made appeals to the Great Powers and the League of Nations
League of Nations
The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
, and appointed Ibrahim Haski, who was one of the chieftains of Jalali
Jalali (Kurds)
Jalali are Kurdish tribe of eastern Turkey and northwestern Iran. They predominantly inhabit in Diyadin district in Ağrı Province as well as in Maku district in West Azerbaijan Province....
tribe, to the governor of Aigrî.
Cabinet decision
On May 9, 1928, the Turkish government enacted the amnesty law and amnesty was offered to all oppositional Kurds willing to submit to the Kemalist government and Kurdish nationalists were freed from prison. But attempts of the Turkish government at initiating meaningful negotiations failed and the Turkish government decided to negotiate directly with Ihsan Nuri Pasha but in vain.On December 29, 1929, Mustafa Kemal
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was an Ottoman and Turkish army officer, revolutionary statesman, writer, and the first President of Turkey. He is credited with being the founder of the Republic of Turkey....
(Atatürk) led the cabinet meeting with paticipations of the Chief of the General Staff Fevzi Çakmak
Fevzi Çakmak
Mustafa Fevzi Çakmak was a Turkish soldier , politician. Minister of War of the Ottoman Empire, National Defence Minister, Prime minister of Ankara government, the second Chief of the General Staff of the Army of the Grand National Assembly and the first Chief of the General Staff of the Republic of...
and İbrahim Tali (Öngören), the general inspector of the First Inspectorate-General
Inspectorates-General (Turkey)
Inspectorates-General or General Inspectorates was a regional governorship whose authorities prevailed over civilian, military and judicial institutions under their domain of the direct command of Mustafa Kemal in order to establishing authoritarian rule and to consolidate the authority in the...
. It was adopted the cabinet decision (No. 8692., Dated 29.12.1929.) that the military operation against Mount Ararat would be started in June 1930.
Order of the General Staff
- Villages inhabited by rebels between Bulakbaşı and Şıhlı Köyü and places of refuge will be occupied. And let rebels debar from livelihood bases.
- After cleaning district from bandits, to follow toward the line of Ararat peak and establish garrisons in occupied territories.
- Only mobile gendarmerie forces will winter between 1930 and 1931. In district no residential areas, except needs for gendarmerie regiments, will not be left.
- In this wise, rebels debared from food and housing needs will be distributed or be forced to take refuge in IranIranIran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
. In this case, problem will be solved with Iran. - Operation will begin in the last week of June 1930 and before harvest season.
- The commander of IX Corps will direct military operation.
Postpone of the offensive against Mount Ararat
On March 18, 1930, Salih (Omurtak)Salih Omurtak
Salih Omurtak was a Turkish general and the fourth Chief of the General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces.-Biography:He was born 1889 in Salonica , then within the Ottoman Empire. He graduated from the Military College in 1907 with the rank of a lieutenant...
was appointed the commander of IX Corps (to May 8, 1934). On June 11, 1930, armed hostilities were initiated by Turkish military against the Ararat insurgents. Xoybûn appealed for help for Kurds throughout Kurdistan. İhsan Nuri sent to Îbrahîm Aga an offensive order dated June 18, 1930. A Turkish Captain Zühtü (Güven), who was an officer of 2nd Mobile Gendarmerie Battalion at Iğdır, got this order from a Kurdish rebel. That is why much to the Turks' dismay, the insurgents were answered on a wide front, Turks temporarily to abandon their offensive against Mount Ararat.
On June 19–20, 1930, hundreds of rebels led by Kör Hüseyin Pasha (former commander of the North group of the Hamidiye regiments
Hamidiye (cavalry)
The Hamidiye corps were well-armed, irregular Sunni Kurdish, Turkish, Turkmenand Yörük cavalry formations that operated in the eastern regions of the Ottoman Empire...
)'s sons and Emin Pasha's sons crossed the border from Persia, cut the telegraph line between Çaldıran and Beyazit
Dogubeyazit
Doğubeyazıt is a city and district of Ağrı Province of Turkey, and is Turkey's most eastern district, the border crossing to Iran. Elevation 1625 m. Area 2.383 km². Population 115.354 of which 69.447 live in the town of Doğubeyazıt, the remainder in the surrounding countryside...
. More than one hundred of them raided the center of Zeylan district and the station of gendarmier. They made their own tribesmen of the district join to them. This Kurdish offensive and offensives at Patnos
Patnos
Patnos is a district of Ağrı Province of Turkey on a plain surrounded by high mountains including Süphan, watered by tributaries of the Murat River. 82 km south of the city of Ağrı on the road to Van...
, Çaldıran will be named the Zeylan Rebellion (Zeylân İsyanı or Zeylân Ayaklanması) by the Turkish authority.
According to general Salih's official report dated July 2, 1930 about the situations of the north of the Lake Van
Lake Van
Lake Van is the largest lake in Turkey, located in the far east of the country in Van district. It is a saline and soda lake, receiving water from numerous small streams that descend from the surrounding mountains. Lake Van is one of the world's largest endorheic lakes . The original outlet from...
, 350-400 rebels led by Kör Hüseyin's sons and Eminpasha's sons were at Patonos area surrounded by Sofu Mustafa - Kâni - Yukarı Romik - Çakırbey - Gürgüre - Haçlı - Koru - Harabe Kürk - Çavuş villages. All of villagers supported them. About 400 rebels led by Seyit Resul were at Zeylân area surrounded by Şurik - Su Souk - Kadir Asker - Münevver - Sivik - Ağı - Dedeli - Şeytan Ava villages. All of villagers supported them. Obscure number of rebels led by Yusuf Abdal were at Çaldıran area surrounded by Aşağı Çilli - Şeyh Rumi - Alikelle - Haçan - Kaymaz - Şeyh Sucu villages.
Massacre
The Turkish army used two corps (VII Corps and IX Corps) and 80 aircraft for cleaning operation from July 8, 1930. Generally the date that the massacre took place was considered as July 13, 1930, but Yusuf Mazhar, who was the special correspondent of the daily CumhuriyetCumhuriyet
Cumhuriyet is a centre-left Turkish daily newspaper, founded on May 7, 1924 by journalist Yunus Nadi Abalıoğlu. Based in Istanbul, it has been situated since October 17, 2005 in Mecidiyeköy. Cumhuriyet was the last newspaper to leave the old press district Cağaloğlu...
that was the Turkey's most widely read daily paper in 1930-1940s, reported the cleaning in districts of Erciş, Mount Süphan
Mount Süphan
Mount Süphan , is a stratovolcano located in eastern Turkey, immediately north of Lake Van. It is the second highest volcano in Turkey, after the mount Ararat.-External links:*...
and Zeylân was completely finished by telephone on July 12, 1930.
44 villages in Zilan canyon: Hesenebdal (Hasanabdal), Axs (Eqis, Doluca), Şarbazar (Şehirpazar), Doxancî (Doğancı), Tendûrek (Gergili), Çaxirbeg (Çakırbey), Îlanlî (Yılanlı), Harhus, Babazik (Aksakal), Komir (Kömür), Şor (Taşkapı), Şorik, Merşîd (Mürşit), Mescidlî (Mescitli), Qerekilîse (Işbaşı, Sabanbüken), Gunduk (Kündük), Zorava (Yöreli), Eryatîn (Aryutin), Kevan (Hallacköy), Qoçkoprî (Koçköprü), Kurûçem (Çemê Ziwa, Kuruçem), Milk (Mülk), Yekmal û Kilîse (Yalındam), Gosk, Partaşa Jêrîn (Aşağı Partaş ), Partaşa Jorîn (Yukarı Partaş), Binesi, Bunizi, Pilaqlî, Keix, Sigûdlî (Sögütlü), Mığare, Qardoxan (Kardoğan), Kele (Evbeyli), Ûstekar (Ağırkaya), Sivar (Süvarköy), Qizîlkilîse (Kızılkilise), Ziyaret, Hiraşen, Qomik, Şeytanava, Birhan (Bürhan) and Yukarı Koçköprü were fired and burned by Turkish troops. Villagers were tied to each other and killed by machine gun
Machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
s of a detachment under the command of Captain Derviş Bey.
According to the daily Cumhuriyet
Cumhuriyet
Cumhuriyet is a centre-left Turkish daily newspaper, founded on May 7, 1924 by journalist Yunus Nadi Abalıoğlu. Based in Istanbul, it has been situated since October 17, 2005 in Mecidiyeköy. Cumhuriyet was the last newspaper to leave the old press district Cağaloğlu...
dated July 16, 1930, about 15,000 people was killed and Zilan River was filled with dead bodies as far as its mouth.
On July 15, 1930, İbrahim Tali (Öngören), the general inspector of the First Inspectorate-General, explained that annihilation was performed by troops with people's help, more than thousand militias were lost, villagers who helped rebels were also annihilated.
The Foreign Office
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, commonly called the Foreign Office or the FCO is a British government department responsible for promoting the interests of the United Kingdom overseas, created in 1968 by merging the Foreign Office and the Commonwealth Office.The head of the FCO is the...
reported The conviction here is that the Turkish "success" near Ergish and Zilan were really gained over a few armed men
Combatant
A combatant is someone who takes a direct part in the hostilities of an armed conflict. If a combatant follows the law of war, then they are considered a privileged combatant, and upon capture they qualify as a prisoner of war under the Third Geneva Convention...
and a large percentage of non-combatant
Non-combatant
Non-combatant is a term in the law of war describing civilians not taking a direct part in hostilities, as well as persons such as medical personnel and military chaplains who are regular soldiers but are protected because of their function as well as soldiers who are hors de combat ; that is, sick,...
s.
Witnesses
According to Nazi Erol, the wife of Şükrü (Erol) who was the eldest son the chieftain of Bekiri tribe, her first child Salih was killed and all of her crony women are killed, she could survive that massacre owing to be hidden under their corpse.According to Mehmet Pamak's grandfather, thousands of people, men, women, children and aged and their massacre by machine-gun fire, blood flowed out of that valley for days. Pamak's aunt (baby) and his 80-year-old great-grandmother were bayonet
Bayonet
A bayonet is a knife, dagger, sword, or spike-shaped weapon designed to fit in, on, over or underneath the muzzle of a rifle, musket or similar weapon, effectively turning the gun into a spear...
ed to death.
According to Kakil Erdem who is one of the living eyewitnesses of the Zilan Massacre, thirty five relatives of him were killed, soldiers cut and opened abdomen of pregnant women. In front of his eyes, three relatives of him were scalped and two brothers of him were beaten with woods to death.
Aftermath
On August 31, 1930, the daily MilliyetMilliyet
Milliyet is a major Turkish daily newspaper founded in 1950.-History:Milliyet came to publishing life at the Nuri Akça press in Babıali, Istanbul as a daily private newspaper on 3 May 1950...
published the declaration of the Turkish prime minister İsmet İnönü
Ismet Inönü
Mustafa İsmet İnönü was a Turkish Army General, Prime Minister and the second President of Turkey. In 1938, the Republican People's Party gave him the title of "Milli Şef" .-Family and early life:...
: Only the Turkish nation has the right to demand ethnic
Ethnic group
An ethnic group is a group of people whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage, often consisting of a common language, a common culture and/or an ideology that stresses common ancestry or endogamy...
and racial
Race (biology)
In biology, races are distinct genetically divergent populations within the same species with relatively small morphological and genetic differences. The populations can be described as ecological races if they arise from adaptation to different local habitats or geographic races when they are...
rights in this country. Any other element does not have such a right. They are Eastern Turkish who were deceived by unfounded propaganda and eventually lost their way.
After massacre real estates at the Zilan canyon were given to collaborationist Kurdish militias, ones at the basin of the Zilan River were given to Cevher Efendi and his sons Süleyman and İdris, ones at the basin of Hacıderi river that is the tributary of the Zilan were given to Sidîqê Hesenkecelê. A observation post
Observation post
An observation post, temporary or fixed, is a position from which soldiers can watch enemy movements, to warn of approaching soldiers , or to direct artillery fire...
was constructed at the confluence of the Zilan and Hacıderi rivers and settlements were prohibited. In 1980 region was opened to settlement and refugees from Afghanistan were relocated to Hasanabdal.
Cultural influences
Musa AnterMusa Anter
Musa Anter, also known by nickname "Ape Musa" , , was a dissident Kurdish-Turkish writer and activist. He was a nationalist intellectual and murdered in September 1992....
, for the first time, learned about and discussed the massacres of the Kurds, such as the Zilan massacre of 1930, the Dersim Massacre
Dersim Massacre
The Dersim Massacre took place in 1937 and 1938 in Dersim, now called Tunceli Province, in Turkey. It was the outcome of a Turkish military campaign against the Dersim Rebellion by local ethnic minority groups against Turkey's Resettlement Law of 1934...
in 1938 and the Thirty three bullets massacre when he published a journal entitled Dicle Kaynağı (Tigris Spring) with three other friends from Dicle Student Dormitory in 1948.
Yaşar Kemal
Yasar Kemal
Yaşar Kemal, is a Turkish writer. He is one of Turkey's leading writers. He has long been a candidate for the Nobel Prize in Literature, on the strength of Memed, My Hawk....
, who is one of Turkey's leading writers, got to know "Zilan Valley Massacre" during interviews in 1950s and was influenced by the massacre. He described massacres in his novel entitled Deniz Küstü ("The Sea-Crossed Fisherman", 1978). The protagonist of the novel Selim Balıkçı participated in the Ararat campaigns, was wounded on the face and transferred to Cerrahpaşa Hospital (İstanbul) for treatment.
Zilan massacre and censorship
In 2007, Ercan Öksüz and Oktay Candemir who are journalistJournalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
working for Dicle News Agency, interviewed 94-year-old living eyewitness Kakil Erdem and published it with the title of "Zilan Katliamı'nın Tanığı Konuştu" (Witness of Zilan Massacre Talks). The Van 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance tried for "inciting hatred and hostility". In 2009, each of them received 1 year 6 months prison sentences.