Abstract
This paper focuses on attacks by the Turkish state on the natural environment of Dersim in recent years as part of nationalization policies, carried out through a combination of intensified dam construction, “regular” bombing of forests and other rural areas, chemical attacks, and the burning of forests. The Turkish state justifies dam construction as useful for irrigation as well as electricity production and explains the bombing and burning of forests as a necessary “counter-terrorism” measure. However, this paper argues that these actions contribute to a long-term deliberate strategy intended to depopulate the region, pushing Alevi Kurds to Western cities where they can be more easily Turkified and Islamized. Moreover, dams are also used to suppress the Alevi religion by destroying its sacred geography and the historical past of non-Turkish and non-Muslim populations in the area, thus enabling Turkish nationalist internal colonization.
Presenters
Dilsa DenizLecturer, Anthropology, University of California San Diego, California, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Economic, Social, and Cultural Context
KEYWORDS
Kurdish Alevism, Sacred geography, Ecocide, Assimilation of environment, State violence
