The people of Dersim, in the context of the new phase that began with Abdullah Öcalan’s call and was formalized through the 12th Congress of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), are voicing criticisms of past shortcomings and calling for increased efforts specifically focused on Dersim at the local level.
Expressing their expectations of the politicians working in Dersim and of the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), the people emphasize that, in the face of all assimilation policies and special warfare tactics imposed by the Turkish state, the DEM Party must work in closer unity with the people and take a more active role.
Expectations of the people of Dersim from DEM Party and Kurdish politicians
Although the people of Dersim express full trust in the Kurdish Freedom Movement, they also voice criticism, particularly toward Kurdish and local politicians. They stress that efforts focused on Dersim at the local level have been insufficient, and that politicians have failed to truly connect with the people.
The people of Dersim expect local politicians and the broader Kurdish political movement to reshape themselves in line with the needs and demands of the people, and to rebuild the bonds with the public that have weakened in recent years.
Especially over the past five years, many people from Dersim who had been living in exile abroad or in other cities have begun returning to their hometowns and villages. For those who are rebuilding their villages and reorganizing life in Dersim, one of the most important demands is the presence of competent figures who can help resolve issues with the state and ensure effective communication with state institutions.
In recent years, the disconnected stance of municipalities and political structures in Dersim, their misguided policies, and their disregard for the demands of the people have sparked serious public discontent.
The expectations of the people of Dersim from the new period can be listed as follows:
1. Through the establishment of a commission during the process of reconstructing the villages, relations with the state in the villages should be carried out in a more balanced and result-oriented manner. Although the state officially permits return to the villages, it creates various obstacles to prevent meeting basic needs such as electricity and water in the newly built houses.
When those who return are unable to establish communication with the state, individuals who exploit and rob the people for their own interests step in. A commission or a people’s assembly to be established regarding the return to the villages will play an important role in both overcoming the obstructive attitude of the state and preventing opportunistic individuals, by building stronger ties with the people.
2. Young people living in Dersim face unemployment and attacks of moral corruption. The necessity of a council organization that will reintegrate the youth into life and protect them from the corrupting effects of special warfare stands out.
The people explain the situation as follows: Youth are increasingly confined to places such as coffeehouses and bars. Due to the poverty they face and the despair imposed by the Turkish state, young people are thinking either of earning easy money or escaping abroad instead of staying in Dersim.
A Dersim without its people is being handed over to individuals brought and funded by the state from outside. To prevent this, there is a need for councils or communes that will listen to the problems of the youth, reintegrate them into life, and organize daily life.
3. In the face of attacks against the Alevi faith, it is necessary to revive institutions based on the foundations of the Kurdish Alevi belief, that free this faith from institutions tied to the system, and enable it to be lived out in practice.
4. The disconnect of the DEM Party and Kurdish politicians from the people must be addressed. There is criticism that municipalities do nothing other than build roads or organize one or two festivals. The fact that there are still regions that do not understand the new process or know the roadmap and goals of the Kurdish Freedom Movement reveals the legitimacy of these criticisms.
One criticism is also about the fact that Abdullah Öcalan’s new-era manifesto has not been shared with the public. The people state that they do not know the new paradigm and that the manifesto has not reached them.
In a place like Dersim, where many political structures exist but the strongest is the Kurdish Freedom Movement, people, despite their trust in the Kurdish Freedom Movement, do not want to attend meetings and events due to the attitudes of DEM Party administrators. The wrong approach of individuals toward the public through their assigned roles has led to disconnection.
5. The people state that there should be sanctions against establishments such as bars, which are densely found in both the city center and districts of Dersim. They note that some individuals are even attempting to open alcoholic venues in sacred places, expressing that the Kurdish Alevi belief is increasingly being corrupted.
The people explain that these initiatives, which the state deliberately turns a blind eye to, are also destroying the sacred places of the Kurdish Alevi belief, and they demand concrete efforts to be made in this regard.
6. The ecological destruction of Dersim is accelerating. Both mining operations and dam projects have begun to ravage Dersim’s geography. Although efforts and marches have taken place against this, the people demand the formation of a commission or council to explain the issue to the broader public and to hold public meetings extending into the villages.
Especially in Dersim, where nearly every mountain hosts a military outpost or watchtower, the people state that the state will use these security structures in service of corporate interests, and emphasize that efforts beyond meetings are needed.
In Dersim, where the people are being tested with hunger, it is stated that there is growing public reaction against mining companies. The people explain that workers are brought in from outside, and that these individuals carry out attacks on the city’s sacred places. They emphasize the need to build institutions against this and to create inclusive spaces where everyone can be heard.
Source: ANF News
