The Dec. 17 workshop will be the sixth in a series of workshops organized by the government, with the participants constituting for the most part Alevi politicians. The government will be represented by State Minister Faruk Çelik, and the moderator will be Professor Necdet Subaşı. Following a meeting evaluating all information from the workshops, a report will be published.
Another former politician who will be invited to the workshop is Cengiz Güleç, along with well-known artist Arif Sağ. Minister Çelik will also invite all Alevis in Parliament regardless of party affiliation to the workshop.
Officials said they are ready to talk to everyone in order to solve the problems, and along with Alevis some non-Alevi deputies are also invited to the workshop. Among them are ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) deputy Zafer Üskül and pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP) deputies Akın Birdal and Aysel Tuğluk.
The government has vowed to continue its commitment to a democratic initiative that includes expanding rights to previously disadvantaged groups and communities, which include Alevis. A former minister from the main opposition CHP Ercan Karakaş, said he is considering the invitation.
“I don’t like to say I will or will not participate before seeing the list of participants. However, it is a waste of time to have these workshops because Alevi organizations have, for a long time, openly stated what they need,” he said.
Meanwhile, İbrahim Yiğit, an Alevi deputy from the AK Party, said citizens in Turkey would like to practice their religious beliefs freely. “The president went to a cemevi [Alevi place of worship]. Was this a wrong move? We all know that cemevis should be legally recognized places of worship,” he said.
