Zaza Nationalism

**Zaza nationalism** is an ideology that supports the preservation of Zaza people between Turks and Kurds in Turkey. The movement also supports the idea that the Zaza people are a different ethnic group from Kurds.[*citation needed*]

## History

After the foundation of the Republic, the people of Zaza participated in many uprisings. In 1925, Zazas led the Sheikh Said and the 1937 Dersim uprising. However, these riots took place mostly in the form of tribal riots and religious riots. Turkish nationalist Hasan Reşit Tankut proposed in 1961 to create a corridor between Zaza-speakers and Kurmanji-speakers to hasten Turkification. In some cases in the diaspora, Zazas turned to this ideology because of the more visible differences between them and Kurmanji-speakers.

Especially in recent years, Zaza language and cultural associations have become widespread, the establishment of the Federation of Zaza Associations and the establishment of the Democracy Time Party have started to adopt Zaza identity more.

With the "Zaza Language and Literature Department" taught at Bingöl University and Munzur University, studies on the identity of the Zaza language are carried out. Bingöl University 1st International Zaza Language Symposium held in 2011 and II. With the International Zaza History and Culture Symposium, many issues in the field of Zaza language were highlighted and many issues on Zazas were brought to the agenda.

## Ideology

In the magazines and books she published, Ebubekir Pamukçu said that Zazas was spent for ideologies such as Kurdish and Turkic. Ebubekir Pamukchu said that if there is no national consciousness, Zaza would be assimilated. He suggested that the term Geographical Zazaistan be used for the region where the zazas live. German Linguist Prof. Dr. Ernst Kausen: "He says that zaza people have a population of 3 million. Zaza people were largely assimilated by the Turks and Kurds." Zaza nationalists accuse the PKK of being against Zazas. According to this section, Zaza settlements in the East were evacuated due to both the state and the PKK. Supporters of Zaza nationalism are afraid of being assimilated by Turkish and Kurdish influence. They indicate of protecting Zaza culture, language and heritage rather than seeking any kind of autonomy within Turkey.

## Reviews

Many Zazas who consider themselves ethnic Kurdish oppose Zaza nationalism. Some Kurds and international foundations suggest a link between the founder of Zaza nationalism, Ebubekir Pamukçu (d. 1993), and the Turkish intelligence services. The Zaza nationalistic movement was welcomed and financially supported by certain circles in Turkey's intelligence establishment and Pamukcu has since been accused of having ties to Turkish intelligence. These are not the only claims by Kurds, and others of attempts by the Turkish government to use Zaza nationalism to attack the strength of Kurdish resistance. The Zazas have the attractions of modern Turkey, and the socio-economic (especially educational) benefits it offers other neighboring minorities who eschew involvement in Kurdish separatism (such as the Lazi[c]s to the far north, or Arabic and Syriac-speaking enclaves in and around Mardin).

In an interview with Kurdmedia, Kurdish-Zaza linguist Mehemed Malmîsanij said the name of this "Zazaistan" publisher was the "Zaza Culture and Publication House" and was part of the Turkish intelligence services with the task of attacking the Kurdish nationalist movement. "The conclusion that I draw ... is that these [Zaza nationalist groups] were groups based in the state, or with a more favorable expression, groups that thought in parallel with the state".

PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan criticized Zaza movements as "a tool to weaken Kurdish consciousness" and alleged that Turkey's National Intelligence Organization (MİT) was behind the movement.

## The effect on Turkey's policy

Dilaver Eren, leader of the Democracy Time Party founded by Zazas, said:

> In the past he would describe as the Republic of Turkey are mountainous Kurdish Turks. Now Kurdish friends see Zaza as a dialect of Kurdish. They did not care about the existence of the Zaza people. If they were important, there would be no need for such a political movement.
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