Alevis discover their Stockholm Syndrome with Öymen’s remarks

Some Alevi organizations, such as the Federation of German-Alevi Unions (AABF), have demanded the resignation of Öymen from the CHP or the resignation of the Alevis from the CHP. The AABF said in a written statement: “We strongly condemn the speech Öymen delivered in Parliament. Öymen should apologize to the Alevi community and resign from his post and from Parliament in order to preserve his dignity.”

Professor Cengiz Güleç, the chairman of the Alevi Institute, says the Alevis should be thankful to Öymen for hinting at the racist tendencies of the CHP, which are valid as far as the Alevis are concerned, although traditionally they used to vote for the party. Cafer Solgun, the author of the “Trial of the Alevis by Kemalism,” describes the voting patterns of Alevis as “Stockholm Syndrome,” which is identification with one’s oppressor.

But both of them, as well as Tarhan Erdem, a prominent political analyst on voting patterns in Turkey, underline that one of the main reasons for this voting attitude is the Alevis sensitivity to secularism. “Traditionally, 60 to 70 percent of Alevis vote for the CHP although this pattern is now on the decline. In every election the CHP gets fewer votes from the Alevis,” Erdem told Sunday’s Zaman.

According to him Alevis vote for the CHP because they used to think that its existence was a guarantee of both democracy and secularism.

But contrary to the past, the discussions on democracy and secularism have been separate in Turkey for some time, and Alevis who are keen on democracy have started to vote for the other parties, too.

Erdem also points out that Alevi Kurds, like the ones in Tunceli a long time ago, gave up supporting the CHP although the city had been one of the bastions of the CHP in the past.

“Alevis of Turkmen origin still support the CHP as well as most of the Alevis who are in İstanbul. Perhaps the number of Alevis is not that high, but they are still powerful, and many intellectuals are of Alevi origin,” Erdem said.

Güleç also underlines the different attitudes of the Turkmen and Kurdish Alevis and points out that it should not be expected for Turkmen Alevis to have a radical movement similar to that of the Kurdish Alevis.

“One should keep in mind that Turkmen Alevis do not have any sympathy for the Kurdish movement,” he says.

Analyzing the voting behavior of Alevis and their political support for the CHP Solgun says that since the establishment of the republic, Alevis have been promised much but received nothing. Just the opposite took place: They were oppressed:

“Since the beginning of the republic, thank God, mosques were not closed down but cemevis [places of worship] were. Many traditional posts in Alevi faith, like being a dede [spiritual leader], were the reason for persecution. But also when the Kurdish question was brought to the agenda, the regime, in order to prevent the Alevi opposition from meeting the Kurdish opposition, allowed them to open cemevis and permitted the establishment of institutions. But prior to 1995 it was impossible to establish any association which included the term Alevi in its name. The Alevis are also used for secular-anti secular polarization, and some Alevis, unfortunately, like missionaries, implemented this plan,” Solgun says.

The phrase “Shariah is coming” has been used to instill fear in Alevis. “These tactics were used against the Alevis. There is no such danger, and this balloon should be burst,” Solgun said.

Güleç also underlines that Alevis are afraid of Shariah, as it comes from a Sunni understanding, and this fear is an important factor in their voting behavior.

“The Alevis should be convinced of the sincerity of the government’s democratization initiative. Not only should their demands for representation in the Religious Affairs Directorate be met, but their democratic demands should be answered, too,” he says.

Although some Alevis would prefer to abolish the Prime Ministry’s Religious Affairs Directorate rather than being represented in it, Alevi groups are voicing their demands for the abolishment of compulsory religious lessons in public schools; recognition of Alevi cemevis as places of worship; and the creation of a museum on the site of the Madımak Hotel, where 37 Alevis were murdered 15 years ago.

To discuss the demands of Alevis, the government has organized a series of Alevi workshops, the fifth of which was held last week in which Öymen was criticized for his remarks.

Erdem underlines that due to Öymen’s comments about Tunceli, the ties of Alevis with the CHP might be stretched, but the fate of this relationship is still very much dependent on the government’s Alevi initiative. “If the Alevis are convinced that the government is serious about the Alevi initiative, then their voting behavior may change in the long run,” he says.