A press conference was held by Şêx Seîd Education Culture and Solidarity Association on the anniversary of the rebellion started by Şêx Seîd on February 13, 1925. Making a statement together with the association management at the association building, Şêx Seîd Association General Secretary Ahmet Kaya stated that the rebellion is one of the important events that has left its mark until today. Kaya described the rebellion as "the serhildan (political word describing the Kurdish rebellions) in which the justified demands of the Kurdish people were expressed." Stating that the rebellion started "as a reaction against a provocation", Kaya said: "The Şêx Seîd serhildan constitutes one of the fundamental parts of today's Kurdish national struggle."

 

'DECISION TO FIGHT AGAINST OCCUPATION’

 

Stating that Kurdistan was divided into 4 parts with the support of British imperialism after the First World War and occupied by the Turkish, Arab and Persian states, Kaya said: "The political, cultural, historical and sociological aspects of the Kurds were ignored and denial and destruction were pursued. Aside from the granting of these rights by M. Kemal and his administration, who had previously promised autonomy to the Kurds, madrassas, which were Kurdish educational institutions, were also closed and the Kurds were subjected to the assimilation process. Kurds organized under the umbrella of the Azadi Movement started to work to demand their rights. Gibranlı Halit Bey, one of the Azadi leaders, and Yusuf Ziya Bey, a former Bitlis deputy, were arrested and Şêx Seîd's statement was also taken. Thereupon, Şêx Seîd set off from Hınıs towards Piran in search. During their journey, they visit many places, organize meetings, develop suggestions with Kurd tribal leaders and decide to fight together.”

 

Kaya stated that while Şêx Seîd was a guest at his brother Sheikh Abdurrahim's house in Pîran, the events broke out when soldiers came to the house where the meeting was taking place and asked the hosts to hand over Kurd fighters Vartolu Nebi and his friends to them. He stated that the "provocation" in which weapons were used was presented as an "insurrection" and added: "The justified demands of Şêx Seîd and his friends are portrayed as a rebellion, thus laying the groundwork for a large-scale military intervention."

 

 

'IGNORING THE KURDS IS NOT DIFFERENT FROM 1925'

 

Noting that the situation caused protests and violent objections in Kurdistan, Kaya said: "The basis of the struggle carried out so far after Şêx Seîd's objection is the Kurds' demand for identity, language and other humane, social and political rights. These demands are demands that are humanitarian and necessary for democracy. It cannot be said that today is different from 1925 in terms of ignoring the rights of the Kurds. It is religiously, conscientiously, morally and legally unethical to ban the language of a nation, to deny its existence, and to be subjected to many harsh practices such as oppression, arrest, exile and massacre for this purpose. It is completely unacceptable.”

 

'WE MUST LOOK FOR WAYS TO END THE OPPRESSION'

 

Kasım Fırat, the president of the association and the grandson of Şêx Seîd, stated that dark days and conspiracies were common in Kurdish history and said: “We must look for solutions to end this oppression that has been going on for a century. We need to think about how we can end this. Kurdish parties, leaders, opinion leaders and scholars must think about why this oppression continues and look for a way to find a solution to it.”