99 years have passed since Şêx Seîd and his 46 friends were executed by the Independence Tribunals in Amed on June 29, 1925. The resistance, which was launched on February 5, 1925 against the policies of oppression and ignoring and the breaking of promises made to the Kurds after the establishment of the Republic of Turkey, was suppressed in May of the same year. In the trial held by the Independence Court, a death sentence was given on June 28, 1925. One day after the decision, Şêx Saîd and his friends were executed in Dağkapı Square on June 29.

 

While 99 years have passed and the grave places of Şêx Said and his friends have not been disclosed, Şêx Seîd's grandson and guardian Kasım Fırat, the Chair of Şêx Seîd Education Culture and Solidarity Association, applied to the Ministry of Internal Affairs in 2009 to find the grave. However, the application was implicitly rejected after the Ministry of Internal Affairs did not respond within 1 month. Ankara 5th Administrative Court, to which the application was made, rejected the application on the grounds that "there are no archive records of the grave sites".

 

 

The state, which gave the death sentence for Şêx Seîd on June 29, 1925, decided to execute PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan, 74 years later, on June 29, 1999. We talked with Bedri Fırat, the grandson of Şêx Seîd, about the similarity of the decisions made and the fact that the grave sites have not been disclosed for 99 years.

 

ALLIANCE AGAINST DENIAL

 

Pointing out that the Şêx Seîd movement started after the system based on the rejection and denial of the Kurds, Fırat said that the complete rejection and denial of the article "the real owners of the country are the Kurds and Turks" in the 1921 Constitution in the 1924 Constitution caused the reaction of all Kurd circles. 

 

Reminding that Şêx Seîd also reacted against this, Fırat said that first of all, attempts were made at that time to form an alliance among the Kurds and to act together. “The first meeting was held in Karikan village of Tatos (Tekman) in November. These meetings continued afterwards. Action was taken to create unity among the Kurds and to express their demands against the system" Fırat said.

 

'BETRAYAL HAS CONTINUED FOR 99 YEARS'

 

Stating that the Şêx Seîd movement started early as a result of the provocation that developed in February, Fırat said: “The purpose of this movement was a common system that would be formed in line with the demands of the Kurds. Şêx Seîd chose the path that relied entirely on the people outside the system and never integrated with the system. He always stood by the people against the emerging systems. However, when the movement started, many sects and sheikh circles developed an attitude against it. The betrayal that occurred among the Kurds 99 years ago still continues. As a result of this betrayal, Şêx Seîd was defeated. Sheikhs, sects and tribal circles integrated with the system prevented the resistance from succeeding. We are actually experiencing the fragmentation situation created by imperialist countries. The attitudes of the parts towards each other cause the Kurds not to be united. A big march started after Şêx Seîd. The purpose of this was the formation of Kurdish unity. But unfortunately, the lack of Kurdish unity since then has become an obstacle to a solution.”

 

 

'JUNE 29 IS NOT A COINCIDENT DATE'

 

Fırat said that it was not a coincidence that the death sentence for PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan was given on June 29, and added: "It is not a coincidence that the sentence given to Mr. Öcalan in 1999 coincided with that day. A message was given to the Kurds through the decision. However, as a result of the reactions, the system hesitated and could not carry out the execution. But instead, punishments were put in place to take revenge. The whole world accepts that a long sentence is no different from execution. Today, Kurds have demands. Kurds are now working to have their leaders among them. The actions taken in prisons today are the result of this. Not allowing family and lawyer circles to visit is also an anti-democratic practice."

 

'HIS GRANDSONS SUPPORTED THE STRUGGLE'

 

Referring to the fact that the grave site of Şêx Seîd and his friends has not been disclosed despite 99 years, Fırat said: “Although there have been demands from time to time for the graves to be handed over to the family, no response has been given by the system to date. When the children of many families lose their lives in conflicts, sending the bodies to the families in parcels via cargo years later is another point of handicap. The increasing cruelty of this system and its practices against Kurds have become limitless. The lack of unity among Kurds encourages them. Today, MHP and similar nationalist groups, which are AKP's ruling partners, insult Kurd leaders whenever they are in trouble. The response of the Kurds to these insults is truly meaningful. The Kurds showed the reaction that many family members could not. This proved that his grandchildren embraced the struggle. I have a request from the public; They should not give credence to those who use Şêx Seîd in their family circles to gain profit for themselves from time to time. Using Şêx Seîd for these games of interest is an insult to him. The Kurds must expose this wherever they see it."

 

 

MA / Müjdat Can