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The Zazas (also known as Kird, Kirmanc or Dimili)[6] are a people in eastern Turkey who speak the Zaza language. Their heartland consists of Tunceli and Bingöl provinces and parts of Elazığ, Erzincan and Diyarbakır provinces.[2] Zazas generally[7] consider themselves Kurds,[8][5][9][10] and are often described as Zaza Kurds.
More recent data from 2005 suggests that the Zaza-speaking population varies from approximately 2 to 4 million.[1] Many Zazas only speak Kurmanji Kurdish as it was believed that the Zaza language was an offshoot of Kurmanji.[3]
While Zazas largely consider themselves Kurds,[7] some researches consider Zazas to be a separate ethnic group, and treat them as such in their academic work.[16] A scientific report from 2005 concluded that Zazas share the same genetical pattern as other Kurdish groups and did not support the hypothesis of Zazas originating from Northern Iran.[17]
