People profile

Most of the 1.5 million Zaza people living across southeastern Turkey consider themselves Kurdish. Their language is called Dimli and they are almost all Sunni Muslims. For years, Kurdish dialects were forbidden in public in Turkey. Kurdish books and music were considered contraband. People were even forced to change their ethnic names to local ones for education or employment. Literacy levels are low, as they have a rich oral tradition, including epic poems about adventures in love and conflict.

Strategic prayer

  • The years of repression, poverty and family dysfunction often lead people to cry out to God for help. Some have found the Lord this way and there are a few dozen known believers among Dimli-speakers. Even though there are no Christian gatherings in the Dimli language, most seem content to worship in Turkish.

  • The Gospel of Luke has been completed in the southern dialect, but has not yet been released. The complete New Testament is in process. Because the spoken word is much more natural to Zazas than the written word, pray the Holy Spirit gives wisdom to workers to know how to develop fruitful oral resources.