Since the establishment of the Republic of Turkey, the government has tried to assimilate the Kurdish people for years, oppressing them, banning publications in Kurdish, and persecuting those who speak Kurdish.

The Dersim Rebellion rose up against the government in the region of Dersim, and Seyit Riza was the leader of the movement.

As a result of the Turkish Armed Forces operations in 1937 and 1938 against the rebellion, thousands of people died and many others were internally displaced.

Seyit Rıza and his friends were murdered during the operations. They were commemorated on the anniversary of their execution in Berlin.