HÜDA PAR's Human Rights and Legal Affairs Presidency has called on Turkish authorities to confront the legacy of the 1930 Zîlan Massacre, urging an official acknowledgment of the tragedy and an apology to the victims as part of efforts to strengthen justice and social reconciliation.

In a written statement released on the anniversary of the massacre, the party said the events that unfolded in Zîlan Creek, within the present-day Erciş district of Van Province, remain one of the darkest chapters in the early history of the Turkish Republic and continue to leave deep wounds in the collective memory of the Kurdish people.

Recalling the events of July 13, 1930, HÜDA PAR stated that thousands of Kurdish civilians were killed during a large-scale military operation carried out by the Turkish military's 9th Corps under the command of Ferik Salih Omurtak.

According to the statement, the operation was conducted pursuant to Council of Ministers Decision No. 8692 issued by the government of the time.

"The military operation carried out by the 9th Corps under the command of Ferik Salih Omurtak was conducted in accordance with the 8692 numbered decision taken by the Council of Ministers of the period. A large number of villages were destroyed, people's property was seized, and heavy loss of life occurred without distinguishing between women, children, and the elderly," the statement said.

HÜDA PAR also pointed to contemporary newspaper reports as evidence of the scale of the violence.

It highlighted a report published in Cumhuriyet newspaper on July 16, 1930, which stated that "Zîlan Creek is filled to the brim with corpses," describing the phrase as a stark reflection of the magnitude of the tragedy.

The Zîlan Massacre took place during military operations launched in the aftermath of the Ağrı (Ararat) uprisings, a series of Kurdish rebellions against the central government between 1926 and 1930.

The military campaign focused on the Zîlan Valley, where large numbers of civilians were reportedly killed and numerous villages destroyed.

Although the exact death toll remains disputed due to the absence of comprehensive official records, historians have estimated that several thousand people lost their lives during the operation. Some historical accounts place the number of victims between 5,000 and 15,000.

The events are widely regarded by many Kurdish scholars, human rights advocates, and historians as one of the most significant mass killings in the early Republican era.

HÜDA PAR argued that the events in Zîlan cannot be viewed solely as a military operation, but should instead be recognized as a grave human rights tragedy rooted in policies of denial, forced assimilation, and extraordinary security measures implemented during the early years of the Republic.

"These events remain in the collective memory as one of the most painful examples of serious human rights violations caused by the policies of denial, assimilation, and extraordinary security measures implemented in the early years of the Republic," the statement said.

The party emphasized that, despite the passage of nearly a century, many questions surrounding the massacre remain unanswered.

It criticized the continued lack of full access to official archives and said insufficient efforts have been made to establish the truth or address the suffering experienced by victims and their families.

"The fact that official archives have not been fully opened to researchers, that comprehensive steps have not been taken to address the sufferings experienced, and that historical confrontation has not been achieved, keeps the search for justice alive," the statement added.

Concluding its statement, HÜDA PAR said confronting painful episodes from the past is essential for strengthening social peace and building a shared future based on justice and mutual trust.

The party called on Turkish state officials to acknowledge their historical responsibility and take meaningful steps toward reconciliation.

"On this occasion, we remember with mercy all the innocents who lost their lives in Zîlan; and in the name of justice, truth, and social peace, we invite state officials to confront this historical responsibility," the statement said.

The anniversary of the Zîlan Massacre continues to be commemorated annually by Kurdish political parties, civil society organizations, and human rights groups, many of which continue to call for greater historical transparency, public recognition of the victims, and broader efforts to address unresolved injustices from Türkiye's early Republican period. (ILKHA)