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The beginning of the Zilan massacre
According to witnesses to the Kurdish massacre in the Zilan Valley region, the massacres began in 1924. A group of Turkish soldiers raided the house of Kor Hussein Pasha Haidari (1861-1929) and killed his fourteen sons.
Hussein Pasha had 16 sons. The soldiers of the Republic of Turkey attacked Hussein Pasha and killed 14 of his sons and many of his cousins. However, his sons Nader Bag and Mame Bag escaped death.
The two brothers then went to Mount Agri, contacted the Kurds, and prepared for war against the Republic of Turkey. Nader Bag and Mame Bag, with the help of Sayd Rasul, went to the Zilan Valley and organized them. Shortly later, Nader Bag attacked the Cagribe Karakulu gendarmerie headquarters and killed several gendarmerie officers.
Hussein Pasha Haidari
It was July 24th. A large number of state troops entered the Zilan Valley and killed a large number of villagers, then burned their houses. However, Bakr Bag, son of Qulikhan Agha, Shukri Agha, and Rashke Misto, from the same family, went to the Zilan Valley with dozens of fighters.
Ten massacres
Although this massacre is known as the Zilan Valley Massacre, my research revealed that many massacres occurred in many different places in the Zilan Valley region. The most extensive massacres were committed in the following ten places:
1. First massacre: in Ada (Grav) Khaibe!
2- Second massacre: in the Galiye Khanian!
3- Third massacre: in Nawala Fade!
4- Fourth massacre: in Nawala Baboye!
5. Fifth massacre: in Nawala Kushtiyan!
6- The sixth massacre: in Galiye Ashiran!
7- Patrakh
8- Hassan Avdal
9- Harema Mulke
10- Chaqir Bag
Photo: Turkish forces attack on the people
In addition, there were massacres in many villages, but no one knew about it and they found out about it many years later. The massacres were known because the villages were empty and their inhabitants were scattered in many places and heard about the massacre. But some of the small villages in the highlands have not survived.
Part of the book "Ten Massacres in Three Tribes of Zilan", Zainal Abedin Zinar, Kurmanji Kurdish, Kurdish Dictionary Publishing House, Sweden/ Stockholm, 2023
To be continued ...
