Zini Rift Massacre

Overview

The Zini Rift Massacre refers to the killing of 95 Alevi-Kurdish civilians on 6 August 1938 in the Kılıçkaya village, also referred to as Zini Gedik, located in Erzincan Province, Turkey. The killings occurred in the context of the aftermath of the Dersim rebellion, a period during which the Turkish state conducted military operations against Kurdish and Alevi populations in the Dersim region.

Aftermath and Displacement

Following the events, some residents of the region were exiled to the western Turkish provinces of Balıkesir and Keşan. This displacement is described as part of the broader consequences of the Dersim rebellion and its suppression.

Discovery of Remains and Legal Proceedings

The case resurfaced decades later when bones came to the surface due to soil erosion at the site. This discovery mobilized the families of those who had lost relatives in the incident. On 9 September 2011, these families applied to the Erzincan Chief Public Prosecutor's Office requesting an examination of the mass grave.

On 28 September 2011, Erzincan Prosecutor Mehmet Can Mıhçı issued a decision of non-prosecution. The stated reasoning was that the incident fell under the broader category of the "Dersim Massacre," which was characterized as "an event related to the issue of public order," that it could not legally be classified as genocide, and that the statute of limitations had already expired.

It was subsequently understood that Prosecutor Mıhçı had based his decision on a prior ruling by Tunceli Prosecutor Ümit Aydın, who had issued a similar non-prosecution decision regarding the broader Dersim Events, as well as on the definitions of the crime of genocide provided by five Turkish lawyers.

Status

The case remains without judicial resolution. No individuals have been named as charged, convicted, or acquitted in connection with the killings, and the matter has been formally closed to further prosecution under Turkish law due to the statute of limitations determination made in 2011.