Turkish Alevis Refuse 'Sunnification'

On Sept. 8, in Tuzlucayir, a poor suburb of Ankara, a major ground-laying ceremony was celebrated for "a mosque and cemevi [an Alevi place of worship] side-by-side." This project was initiated by the Fethullah Gulen Movement and supported by a prominent Alevi dede, or elder, Izzettin Dogan. Yet, the celebration was overshadowed by angry street protesters who clashed with the police. You may wonder why such a generous and grandiose project would be deemed unacceptable by a relatively poor neighborhood.

The idea of mosque and cemevi together was made public by Gulen’s declaration around mid-June as a sign of rapprochement after the controversial naming of a bridge across the Bosphorus. Alevi elder Dogan announced on his web page that the idea was welcomed by Alevis. However, since the construction started on Sept. 8, Tuzlucayir protests have not stopped. Several Alevi representatives throughout Turkey and in the diaspora went public with their opposition to the project.

Presented as the “second Alevi opening” toward democratization of the country, the Gulen Movement hoped this project would be a helpful step to reconcile the grievances of Alevis and bring peace between the two groups. To understand the causes of this yearning for peace and brotherhood, one needs to know how religion is regulated in Turkey.

Anytime you hear about Turkey and religion, it is stated that Turkey is a 99% Muslim country, with 1% being non-Muslim. All the Muslims thus fall into the ambiguous 99% category. The secular Turkish state coordinates and governs religious matters through the Religious Affairs Directorate. The directorate is attached to the prime minister’s office and is charged with several responsibilities, including repairing and maintaining mosques, and paying the salaries of mosque personnel in Turkey and abroad. The directorate's 2013 budget is sizeable, exceeding the combined budgets of Foreign and Interior Ministries. Although “other” Turks contribute with their taxes, they do not benefit from the directorate's services. It is a misnomer because it is in practice the Directorate of Sunni Affairs, funded by all taxpayers, yet serving only some of them. When we look at the “other Muslims” two categories emerge: Shiites and Alevis.