Alevi Zaza

The Alevi Zaza or Zaza Alevis is the community of Zazas adhering to Alevism, the other group of Zazas adhering to Sunni Islam (the Sunni Zaza), roughly divided by half. The Zazas are sometimes regarded a sub-group of Kurds; the Zaza language is part of the Western Iranian languages, though it is not mutually intelligible with the Kurdish language. There is a history of antagonism between the two Zaza religious groups, taken advantage of by the Turkish government. The Alevi Zaza are concentrated in the region of Dersim. There are also Kurmanj-speaking (Kurds) and Turkish-speaking Alevis in Eastern Turkey. The term "Kurdish Alevis" is used to include both Kurmanj-speakers and Zaza-speakers. The community is generally supportive of the Turkish state.

The Alevi Zaza in Dersim call themselves Kırmanc, while they call the Sunni Zaza Zaza, and Kurdish-speakers as Kurmanc and Kurdish language as Kırdaski. In the Zaza language in Dersim, Kırmanc is a synonym for Alevi. To some Alevi Zaza, the term Kurd means "Sunni". They also call themselves Dersimli, increasingly popular.

Some Alevi Zaza joined the 1921 Koçgiri rebellion, however, many tribal chiefs were loyal Kemalists. The Alevi Zaza did not support the 1925 rebellion led by the Sunni Zaza widely supported by other Kurdish groups. Sunni Zaza elders claim the rebellion was suppressed by the government using Alevi Zaza help. In 1937, the Alevi Zaza rose up against the government, in the event known as the "Dersim rebellion", which was suppressed by the government using Sunni Zaza help. This has marked the Zaza society. A separate, Zaza nationalism, is supported mainly by Alevi Zaza, unlike the Sunni Zaza.

Tribes include Hormek, Koçgiri and Lolan.

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