Ethnic map of Adıyaman/Semsûr Province

The peculiar case and future of Adıyaman/Semsûr Province

Adıyaman Province is mostly Kurdish with a Turkish and Turkmen minority. The province is known for its deficit of Kurdish nationalism, almost exclusively among the Sunni Kurds (contrary to their Alevi counterparts). Kurds are a majority in all districts, except Tut and Gölbaşı in west of the province, where Turks and Turkmens constitute the majority. This short analysis of Adıyaman Province concentrates on the Sunni Kurds, who make up approx. 70% of the province’s population.

The Sunni Kurds are characterised as being conservative Sunni Muslims, who are mostly assimilated into the Turkish society. But albeit the fact that the Sunni Kurds of this province are one of least patriotic ones in Kurdistan, some of the villages are patriotic and have had many şehids for PKK and affiliated organisations. These villages are mostly in Kahta/Kolîk district in the east of the province, where PKK-YPG şehids like Egîd Semsûr and Pale Kawa hailed from.

Thus the Sunni Kurdish region of Adıyaman is divided between the assimilated (majoritical) Kurds and a minority of patriotic Kurds. Also it has to be mentioned that Adıyaman is one of the two Kurdish provinces that has sent the largest number of men to Daesh (estimates of 300 men as of July 2015).

Looking at the voting pattern of the overwhelmingly Sunni Kurdish districts, you can see the Kurdish-orientated party HDP growing. This growth of HDP can be seen as a slow process of deassimilation among the Sunni Kurds. From the general election in 2011 to June 2015, the Kurdish party went from 3% to 17,4% in Gerger, 8,5% to 25,7% in Kahta, 4,6% to 16,3% in Samsat and from 0,4% to 5,1% in Sincik. Even though HDP saw a decrease of votes in the latest November 2015 election, this development should not be undermined. HDP has penetrated the foundations of this province – from being an assimilated and turkified province to a province where nationalism is on the rising. 2015 was also the first time, a Kurdish party won a MP-seat in Adıyaman (Behçet Yıldırım).

Though it should be noted that HDP took this seat from CHP and not AKP. CHP’s era as being the second largest party in Adıyaman is over, as HDP has taken a large portion of its voterbase (and continues to do so). It is mostly the Alevi Kurds (and Alevi Turks of Gölbaşı) who votes CHP, but this party fell from 16,6% in 2011 to 11,4% in June 2015, and again to 11,2% in the latest election in November 2015. Unlike the Sunni Kurds, the Alevi Kurds are patriotic and HDP wins most of their villages. The reason for CHP still getting a big portion of the Alevi Kurds’ vote should be found among the elders, who have a habit voting CHP (for many years, there were no alternatives to the secular CHP and therefore it will take years before this habit passes).

Whats the reason for this deassimilation? Simply put, these assimilated Kurds know they are Kurdish and speak Kurdish too. And seeing the escalation of the Kurdish conflict in Rojava and especially in Kobanê against Daesh, many of them opened their eyes. And everytime a Kurd from Adıyaman becomes a şehid, this province gets more born-again patriots.

HDP leaders in Adıyaman during the election campaign last year:

Not only was 2015 the year HDP got their first MP in this province, it was also first time Newroz was held in Gerger/Aldûs: