[Silent Turkey-1] Alevis

Gaining perspective

Suppose that a document was found in the safe deposit box of a political party, say the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) or the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), and that this document contained a plot to send Alevis to the streets in protest. Wouldn’t this shock the entire country? Let us leave this unlikely or unfeasible example aside and move on to a more understandable comparison. If it had been discovered that a secret exercise had been conducted within an intelligence organization connected to the government -- such as the National Intelligence Organization (MİT) or police intelligence -- in order to trigger a conflict between Alevis and Sunnis, how would Alevis have reacted? Wouldn’t this have shocked the entire country? Why? This is because both police intelligence and MİT operate under the control of the civilian authority. Therefore, it is not as troublesome to react to the government as to the junta.

The document signed by Col. Dursun Çiçek has become known as the “Plan to finish off the AK Party and [Fethullah] Gülen.” There is a very simple reason for this: the Taraf newspaper who first reported on this document had used this phrase in its headlines. Also, it deserves this title. Indeed, the steps planned in order to destroy the AK Party are exhaustively explained in this document. The shameful plots that were drafted against Gülen and his followers are easily seen in this document. They heartlessly planned to plant weapons in some houses and then accuse those innocent people of being members of a terrorist organization. Still, the following question should be asked aloud: Did the action plan in question target only the AK Party and Gülen? No. We are talking about an insidious plan that has all social groups and every political group within its scope, and this is no ordinary incident.

For instance, the section on Alevis says: “Within the scope of the house raids, it will be ensured that documents and information that trigger enmity against Alevis should be found in these houses,” and this sentence makes one’s soul ache. Even its connotations are heartrending. Inevitably one is urged to ask: “Is this what happened in Maraş? Were the Sivas incidents planned in a similar manner? Was the sectarian row in Çorum part of such psychological warfare?”

In the face of this scandal, the people who are said to be representatives of Alevis have failed to raise their voices. Their protest has not amounted to the huge wave of criticisms they had hurled at the slip of the tongue of a person on TV. If they have chosen to keep their mouths shut just because the document in question was prepared at the General Staff, then this is the wrong attitude. Indeed, the value of our army -- which all of us greatly respect -- is one matter, while reacting to the coup plots of the junta within the army is another. The current picture of silence is adding fuel to the doubt that has been voiced for some time. At least, the resulting image is even more disturbing to the ordinary Alevis. This is the argument that has been voiced for some time: Some Alevi organizations and leaders want to use this fine group of Alevis as subcontractors for some shadowy organizations.

Honorable Alevis

The honorable stance of an ordinary Alevi is clear about “not being a subcontractor” for someone else’s dirty business. There is no way s/he would accept it. However, it is a known fact that there are some structures, namely the far left Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party/Front (DHKP/C), that strive to make Alevi youth members of their organization. Holding funeral ceremonies for members that are killed in conflict at Alevi houses of worship, called cemevi, are reasons for major disturbances, but there are challenges involved in interfering in this situation. Leftist parties, especially the Republican People’s Party (CHP), used Alevis for political purposes. But when their plans got twisted, their true views on the Dersim incidents were revealed. But just until recently, the CHP was trying to turn the peaceful Alevi citizens into a political bloc by saying, “Alevis are a guarantee of secularism.” The period during which this propaganda reached an all-time high coincided with the time republican rallies were organized. It was obvious that the “you are a guarantee of secularism and the republic” propaganda was being carried by deep state structures. Fortunately, Alevis showed their democratic reactions to CHP Deputy Chairman Onur Öymen’s comment on the Dersim massacre. But is that enough? No, because reacting to a political party is easy. The essential step to take is adopting a democratic stance against deep organizations that aim to pull Alevis into a conflict by engaging in illegal activities. For example, Alevi foundations did not show an adequate level of democratic reaction to the Ergenekon organization, although it is known that this organization tried to create chaos over Alevis. For example, it was discovered that there were plans to assassinate Ali Balkız, head of the Alevi-Bektaşi Federation. When the plans were exposed, Balkız said he didn’t believe the claims. He remained unconvinced until Ergenekon prosecutors showed him the documents. Then he said: “I believe it. I am appalled.” But a significant number of Alevi organizations are still quiet about Ergenekon, which is hard to understand. The majority of simple and sincere Alevis have nothing to be ashamed of. They didn’t support a conflict between Turks and Alevis so as to pose a threat to social peace. It is evident that there are some people striving to make Alevis a partner of a deep organization.

Turkey is rapidly moving toward becoming a more transparent society. From this point on, no one will be a servant for someone else; actually, no one is going to be able to say to another person, “I am going to do something, but you have to close your eyes and ears.” In an era, when the brightest period of the information age is being experienced, people see that nothing can be covered up and believe these issues need to be discussed openly. They are right. The world is moving toward a more transparent and more libertarian horizon. Alevis also want to become an open society and be involved in a participatory system. This situation bothers shadowy structures, but there is nothing they can do. Today is generating new songs for new generations.