Seyid Reza Dersimi
(1863-1937)

Seyid Reza Dersimi, born in 1863 in the Dersim region of present-day Turkey, was an Alevi Zaza-Kurdish tribal chieftain and religious leader highly respected among the Kurdish and Zaza tribes. He rose to prominence as the central figure of the Dersim Rebellion (1937–1938), an armed resistance against the Turkish Republic’s assimilationist policies and brutal repression under Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. Dersim had long been a fiercely independent region, where marginalized Kurdish tribes refused to pay taxes or submit to state authority, preserving a distinct identity outside Turkish control. In response, the government intensified efforts to bring the area under its rule, implementing disarmament campaigns, forced taxation, surveillance, and military buildup. When negotiations failed and provocations mounted, Seyid Reza united the local clans, leading armed attacks against Turkish soldiers and police. The Turkish state retaliated with overwhelming force, deploying more than 25,000 troops supported by aerial bombardments to crush the revolt. In 1937, under the pretense of peace talks, Seyid Reza was deceived, captured, and soon executed by hanging. Before his death, he denounced the Turkish government’s betrayal, declaring that although Dersim had fallen, the Kurdish struggle for freedom would continue and ultimately prevail. The suppression of the rebellion left tens of thousands dead and marked one of the darkest chapters in Kurdish history. Seyid Reza’s leadership, courage, and martyrdom made him a lasting symbol of Kurdish resistance, inspiring later generations to continue the struggle against state oppression. Today, he is remembered not only as a leader of the Dersim tribes but also as an enduring icon of Kurdish nationalism and the fight for self-determination.