Alevi community celebrates unity at Cologne festival

Thousands gathered in Cologne, Germany, for the Alevi community's 'Be One Open Air' festival, a vibrant celebration of unity and cultural expression. The event, held under the banner 'Let's Be One,' saw a significant turnout of politicians, artists, and community members from across Germany and Turkey.

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Let's be one, souls. Today we came to be one. We shared our pain, we shared the oppressions we have lived through with the history of massacres, and we will share again, but we reject these oppressions and we will also share our happiness at festivals. We will continue to fight.

AABF President Hüseyin Mat opened the festival with a powerful speech, invoking the spirit of unity and resistance. He referenced the 2013 Gezi protests and the Alevi tradition of "Gelin canlar bir olalım" (Let's be one, souls). Mat stressed the importance of sharing not only sorrows and historical injustices but also moments of joy and happiness, declaring a rejection of oppression and a commitment to continued struggle. He highlighted the diverse presence of Turks, Kurds, Armenians, Germans, and Syriacs, vowing solidarity with all who face injustice.

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Today, there are Alevis, Sunnis, Turks, Kurds, Armenians, Germans, Syriacs here, we are all together. We will stand by those who are subjected to injustice.

Mat also addressed the current political climate in Turkey, condemning recent events and calling for a strong Republican People's Party (CHP) to foster a democratic future. He specifically criticized internal CHP debates that he felt targeted Alevi and Dersim identities, stating that any attack on these groups would be met with opposition. "Those who speak ill of Alevis and Dersimis will find us standing against them," he declared.

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We condemn what has happened in Turkey recently, we call on the Republican People's Party, we need a strong CHP for a democratic Turkey, we also need socialists and revolutionaries.

The festival program included performances by prominent artists such as Miraz, Sasa, Zeynep Baksi Karatag, Efkan Şeşen, Mavi Der Rota, Aylin Yıldırım, Grup Emman, İlkay Akkaya, and Suavi. Attendees enjoyed music, dancing, and various stalls offering books, crafts, food, and drinks. Dignitaries present included Dem Party Co-Chair Tuncer Bakırhan, CHP Deputy Chair Nurhayat Altaca Kayışoğlu, and local German officials like Berivan Aymaz and Derya Karadağ, underscoring the festival's significance as a cross-cultural gathering.

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Those who speak ill of Alevis and Dersimis will find us standing against them.