Organised in Brussels by the Kurdistan National Congress (KNK), the Islamic Society of Kurdistan (CÎK) and Kurdish Institutes in Germany and Belgium, the conference "Şêx Seîd and Azadî Community: History, Memory and Collective Dissent" organised by the Kurdish Institutes in Germany and Belgium in Brussels.

 

In the final declaration, it was pointed out that the burial places of Sheikh Said and 46 of his friends have still not been disclosed and it was emphasised that this situation is a great violation of rights not only for the Kurdish people but also for the conscience of humanity.

 

The final declaration reads as follows: 

 

During the conference, the following topics were thoroughly evaluated:

 

*The historical, political, and social context and causes of the 1925 uprising,

 

*The political vision of the Azadî Society and its relationship to the uprising,

 

*The violence employed in suppressing the uprising and its repercussions to the present day,

 

*The trial process and execution of Sheikh Said and his companions,

 

*The impact of this uprising on the Kurdish national movement and cultural memory,

 

*The memories and contemporary significance of Kurdish leaders who were left without graves.

 

The presentations and discussions during the conference demonstrated that the 1925 uprising was not merely “an event that happened and ended in the past,” but remains, in different forms, an ongoing matter of truth, memory, and justice. In this context, we wish to make the following findings and calls:

 

*That the burial sites of Sheikh Said and 47 of his companions, who were executed in 1925, have not been disclosed to this day is a profound injustice not only for their families and the Kurdish people but also for everyone with a conscience and from the perspective of universal human rights. The absence of a grave means the denial of the deceased. Not knowing where a person’s remains lie prevents collective mourning, commemoration, and remembrance.

 

*Therefore, being left without a grave is not merely a physical absence; it is also a way to suppress memory, to control space, and to deny a people their collective right to grieve. Those deprived of graves are deliberately marginalized and erased from history to make collective identity fade away. For this reason, this issue remains one of the most fundamental and urgent demands in the Kurdish people’s struggle for historical justice and recognition.

 

*Although the state archives hold all the information necessary to identify this mass grave, no official statement has ever been made. The fact that the burial site has not been determined, that no scientific identification has been conducted, and that the remains have not been returned to the families reflects the absence of the will to confront the past and the truth. This is a humanitarian responsibility that has gone unfulfilled for a century.

 

-This practice of leaving people without graves is not limited to Şêx Seîd and his companions:

 

-In the 1930 Zilan massacre and the 1935 Sason massacre, the victims were buried in unknown mass graves.

 

-The burial sites of Seyîd Rıza and his companions, who were executed after the 1937 Dersim massacre, have also never been disclosed.

 

-This policy of denying graves and erasing memory was systematically applied in all the uprisings of that period.

 

-Similarly, the grave of Bediüzzaman Seîdê Kurdî, who died in exile in 1960 and was not buried in his homeland Bedlîs despite his will, has been lost.

 

*One of the most basic conditions for Turkey to be able to reconcile with the Kurdish people is to confront such issues of memory and truth. Hiding graves, criminalizing historical figures, and showing disrespect to their memories are serious obstacles to lasting peace.

 

*For these reasons, we call on the Republic of Turkey and the relevant authorities to take the following concrete steps:

 

-Disclose the burial sites of Sheikh Said, Xalid Begê Cibrî, Seyîd Rıza, Seyit Abdulkadir Nehri, Sheikh Şerîf, Yusuf Ziya, Reşoyê Silo, Şêx Resûl, Biroyê Heskê Têlî, Sheikh Zahir, Seîdê Kurdî, and all their companions and successors who lost their lives; return their remains to their families; enable a process of social reckoning; and end the attacks, disrespect, and denial directed at their memories.

 

-Abandon defamatory, dishonoring, and hostile language targeting these figures in official history, state discourse, and the education system. Open all archives completely so that the truth can be revealed.

 

-Establish mechanisms that will institutionalize confronting the pains of the past, reveal the truth, ensure justice, heal consciences, and make social peace possible.

 

For a hundred years, policies of denial, annihilation, execution, and liquidation have continued. Most Kurdish uprisings have faced trials and executions. The last Kurdish uprising, which has continued for 52 years under the leadership of Abdullah Öcalan, is now at the negotiating table. On this occasion, we call on Turkish state officials to end policies of denial, annihilation, and liquidation, and to recognize the rights and truths of the Kurdish people.

 

*Peace is possible not only by silencing weapons but also by securing the rights of the living, finding a place for the dead, honoring their memories, and engaging in a profound reckoning with the truth of the past.

 

The lost graves of Sheikh Said and his companions are, in fact, a summary of the memory and history of the Kurds that has been sought to be erased for 100 years. Yet, even if graves and remains are lost, memory will not fall silent; even if history is concealed, the demand and struggle for justice will continue.

 

After the final declaration was read in Kurdish and Turkish, suggestions were received regarding the conclusions of the conference.

 

CALL TO COLOGNE RALLY 

 

Then, on behalf of the organizing committee, Civaka Islamiya Kurdistan (CÎK) President Mele Şevket Çakır delivered a speech of thanks and shared reflections on the historical and contemporary dimensions of the topics discussed. Çakır called for participation in the rally to be held in Cologne, Germany, on Sunday, June 29, marking the conclusion of the events organized in Europe to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Sheikh Said Uprising.