On July 21 in Ankara, the Alevi Bektasi Federation (ABF) announced that it had politely declined an invitation from Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan for its members to attend iftar, the breaking of the fast during Ramadan. As the holy month draws to a close, Turkey's presidential candidates have mobilized to attract different groups to their iftars.

The prime minister and his Justice and Development Party (AKP) were already known for their lavish, high-end iftars, and the election campaign has only intensified dinner traffic. Every evening, the media carry reports of Erdogan addressing pre- and post-iftar gatherings, turning them into live events for the country to follow on multiple TV channels. Crowds are encouraged to cheer for Erdogan during the live broadcasts as he passionately campaigns. In the first days of Ramadan, a photo of Erdogan was shared on social media asking, “Are you ready? He is fasting and is even angrier.”

At the July 11 iftar, Erdogan had announced his “vision program,” which involves multiple democratization and resolution packages, in particular concerning the Kurds and Alevis. Following that dinner, the AKP informed the media that there would also be an iftar where the details of the Alevi opening would be announced. The main goal was to “gather all Alevi organizations under one roof.” Ministers, Alevi parliamentarians, academics and elders were to be invited.

This was the setting as I approached the quiet, shaded garden in Ankara on July 21 to listen to an announcement by Fevzi Gumus, chairman of ABF. A soft-spoken and articulate lawyer, Gumus was calm and clear in justifying the Alevis' rejection of Erdogan’s invitation. Everyone in the garden was confident that the announcement would not make the prime time news on mainstream media unless some major drama unexpectedly ensued. One journalist observing the event told Al-Monitor, “Unless someone here curses at Erdogan or declares their love to him and calls us all traitors, this news will not see the light of the day.”