ISTANBUL- ADEF Chair Zeynel Abidin Koc and PSAKD Vice Chair Ibrahim Karakaya reiterated their demand for equal citizenship and pointed out that with social peace different beliefs and identities will be liberated. 

 

Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan's paradigm of capitalist modernity, which he sees as teh source of religious and ethnic problems, and democratic modernity, which he proposes for the solution of these problems, continues to receive the support of different segments of society. Abdullah Öcalan's "Call for Peace and Democratic Society", which is a concrete framework for the discussions on the solution of the Kurdish question, also received support from Alevi organisations. Representatives of Alevi organisations evaluated the meaning of the call, which is based on solving the problems with "peaceful" methods on the grounds of democratic nationhood by removing them from the grounds of conflict, for Alevis who have been subjected to massacres as a result of a continuous discrimination. 

 

Evaluationg the issue to Mezopotamya Agency (MA), Pir Sultan Abdal Cultural Association (PSAKD) Vice Chair Ibrahim Karakaya stated that the Kurdish question is a 100-year-old Republican problem and reminded that massacres were carried out to create a single nation in Turkey. Karakaya stated that in 1968, during the so-called '68 generation, Turkey became acquainted with socialism and the Kurdish revolts that had been suppressed before were remembered and the Kurdish question came to the agenda again. 

Karakaya said that the PKK was a model that the children of poor peasants organised and emerged for a national problem at that time. Karakaya underlined that the PKK changed and transformed itself again with the collapse of real socialism, and said that the democratic modernity paradigm put forward by Abdullah Öcalan within the scope of this transformation is a correct definition. Emphasising that the democratic nation model based on democratic modernity that came to life in North and East Syria constituted a model for the peoples of the Middle East. "A democratic process was experienced, far from monism," he said. 

 

'ONE OF THE MAIN QUESTION IS THE ALEVI QUESTION'

 

Stating that the reason for MHP Chair Devlet Bahçeli's call on 1 October was also influenced by regional developments. Stressing that Abdullah Öcalan's "Call for Peace and Democratic Society" is very valuable, Karakaya said that a social peace should be inclusive of all segments in Turkey. Stating that there was a meeting between DEM Party and Alevi institutions and organisations regarding the process, Karakaya said, "The Republic has two questions. One is the Alevi question and the other is the Kurdish question. One in the ethnic sense and one in the sense of faith identity. Because the religious identity of this state is Sunni and the ethnic identity is Turkish. Alevis have problems with the state. We are not the problem. The problem lies in the state's own logic."

 

Karakaya said that there is an understanding in the Alevi belief that "anyone who does not look at 72 nations with the same eyes is not a human being". Stating that one belief should not dominate over another belief, Karakaya said, "Therefore, for the solution of all the problems in this country, each of us has to solve these problems together so that we and our children and grandchildren can live in a more comfortable and peaceful world. By empathising a little bit, we should see the things that we deserve to ourselves to another person so that this problem can be solved. Therefore, no one is privileged in the sight of God."

 

MASSACRES OF ALEVI IN THE HISTORY OF THE REPUBLIC

 

Zeynel Abidin Koç, President of the Federation of Alevi Associations (ADEF), stated that the 100-century-old Republic has not been inclusive of Alevis and Kurds in a positive sense. Pointing to the massacres of Alevis in the history of the Republic, Koç emphasised that those who ruled the state marginalised those who did not think like them. Stating that Alevi organisations organised conferences in Istanbul, London and Germany with the new process that started, Koç said: "These conferences were organised with the participation of DEM Party co-chairs. The process taking place here was explained. Alevis contribute directly wherever the word peace is mentioned. Because the worst thing is to slaughter people, nature and beings. It is not possible for Alevis to be associated with war. Everyone's common demand is equal citizenship. Do only Kurds need education in their mother tongue? There are Circassians, Greeks and Armenians in this country. When we talk about faith, is it only the Alevi community in Turkey that has a problem? They have never heard of a church being opened. I am not saying that churches should be opened or not. They should be able to be expressed within the framework of freedom. We Alevis are ready to support, participate and contribute to peace."

 

'WE ARE READY FOR PEACE YESTERDAY, TODAY AND TOMORROW'

 

Koç added: "We live in a country where democracy is not experienced and happiness is not at a high level. Our main goal is to bring love and friendship together again in this country through democratisation. If the peace process evolves to the right point, if we give good education to our children born today, I think that in a period of 20-30 years, the values we have lost will come to a certain point again. In Turkey, not only people's personal rights but also their cultures were hit. We need this peace very much in order to regain our own culture. Because peace will bring a feast to Turkey. It will provide very serious gains both economically and culturally. This is also very important. We Alevis, despite everything that has been done to us, were ready yesterday, we are ready today and we will be ready tomorrow to support wherever the name of peace is mentioned."

 

MA / Melik Çelik