MEDİNE MAMEDOĞLU

Dersim – The deepening economic crisis in Turkey causes the people to leave the country in the hope of having a better future in Europe. Since the massacre took place in Dersim (Turkish: Tunceli) in 1938, the city has ranked first among the cities, where the people migrate to other countries. The young population rate in the city has been decreasing in particularly recent years due to the economic crisis and unemployment. According to the local sources, thousands of young people from Dersim have gone to Canada in recent months and the price hikes and unemployment in the city drive the citizens staying in the city suicide.

According to the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK), Dersim is among four cities with the highest average suicide rates. In 2022, four persons, including two women, committed suicide in the city. DİSK (the Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey)- General Services Workers’ Union Dersim Branch Co-chair Şükran Yılmaz told NuJINHA that measures should be taken to prevent the decreasing population rate of the city.

Recalling that Dersim is one of the cities, where the people migrate to other countries, Şükran Yılmaz said, “People began to return to the city during the peace process. However, the people began to leave the city after July 15. The political situation has a great effect on increasing the number of people migrating to other countries. Our city is one of the unhappiest cities in Turkey. The citizens living in European countries spend their days longing for their city. Migration is a solution for the people to have a peaceful and better life.”

“The people face intense assimilation and marginalization policies”

Indicating that the people of Dersim migrated to other cities in Turkey before but now they prefer to migrate to European countries, Şükran Yılmaz continued to talk as follows:

“The city had the highest rates of literacy before. However, the rates have been decreasing because the people also face intense assimilation and marginalization policies in the education system. Being Alevi, Kurdish and a Dersim citizen causes the people to face more challenges. And people leave the city because they do not see any future for them in the city.”

“The increasing migration rates damage the city”

Highlighting that the political situation and economic crisis in the country lead the people of Dersim to migrate to other countries, Şükran Yılmaz said, “We think that the economic reasons are the second reasons leading the people to migrate to other countries. The people have the opportunity to do agriculture, animal husbandry or production. However, the desperate situation in the country causes the people to leave the country. As the people of Dersim, we grew up with the trauma of the Dersim massacre in the 38s. We became a part of this war in a way. 40 years have passed but we are still in the same situation. As I mentioned before, the people leave the city in the hope of finding a better life. But the increasing migration rates damage the city.”