Alevi Leader Criticizes Government Appointments to New Presidency

Turkey's Ministry of Tourism has established an Alevi-Bektashi Culture and Cemevi Presidency, appointing eleven individuals to an advisory board. The appointments, made via a presidential decree, include figures such as Metin Tarhan, Selahattin Özgündüz, and Serdar Gazi Karababa.

Turgut Öker, a prominent voice within the Alevi community, strongly criticized the move. He stated that the appointments were made "from above" without consulting or gaining the consent of Alevi institutions and representatives. Öker expressed no surprise at the chosen individuals, asserting they have offered no benefit to the Alevi community and have historically used the community's faith and identity for personal gain.

Öker further argued that this appointed board does not represent the will of the Alevi people but rather the "Saray's (palace's) Alevi policy." He emphasized that Alevi representatives cannot be determined by President Erdoğan, and that those appointed by the state represent the political power that appointed them, not the community itself. He contrasted this with the Alevi tradition of choosing representatives through consensus and democratic elections, stating, "In Alevism, representation arises not from a position given by the palace, but from the consent given by the community."

Highlighting the move to place Cemevis under the Ministry of Tourism, Öker described it as a denial of Alevism as a faith, reducing it to a cultural spectacle. He believes the government's aim is not to solve Alevi issues but to create a new, state-aligned form of Alevism. "The state's Alevi, the state's dede (elder), the state's cemevi, and the state's representative are being created," he stated, suggesting this aligns with a Turkish-Islamic synthesis approach that co-opts Alevi identity.

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Atananlara baktığımızda şaşırmıyoruz. Bunların Alevi toplumuna toplu iğnenin başı kadar faydası olmamıştır. Hiçbir toplumsal mücadelenin içinde yer almamışlardır.