19.09.2008 - Source: US Department of State

Religious education, places of worship ("International Religious Freedom Report 2008") [ID 24859]

" Alevi children receive the same compulsory religious education as all Muslims, and many Alevis alleged discrimination in the Government's failure to include any of their doctrines or beliefs in religious instruction classes in public schools. During the reporting period, Alevis had more than 4,000 court cases against the Ministry of Education regarding this alleged discrimination. Materials for the proposed new religious course curriculum that includes instruction on Alevism are believed by many Alevis to be inadequate and, in some cases, false. Alevis also charged there was bias in the Diyanet, which does not allocate specific funds for Alevi activities or religious leadership. In effect, the Diyanet budget is reserved for the Sunni community, covering the salary of imams and other costs. It does not pay for the cost of utilities of "cem houses" (places of worship) or facilities not recognized by the Government as places of worship.

[...]

In October 2007 the ECHR ruled in favor of an Alevi father who requested that his daughter be exempt from the religion courses at school; the Court argued that Alevism is distinct from the Sunni understanding of Islam and that the religious courses did not meet European Convention on Human Rights (Convention) criteria of objectivity and plurality. In January 2008 the Government incorporated ten pages of additional instruction on Alevi beliefs and practices in the final year of religious instruction in secondary school. By the end of the reporting period, the ECHR had yet to announce whether these changes aligned the country's religious curriculum with Convention principles.

[...]

Alevis freely practiced their beliefs and have built cem houses, although these have no legal status as places of worship and are often referred to as "cultural centers." Representatives of Alevi organizations maintained that they often faced obstacles when attempting to establish cem houses. They said there were approximately 100 cem houses in the country, a number that they claimed was insufficient to meet their needs.

In December 2007 a cem house in the Alevi Catalkaya district of Sivas was reportedly turned into a mosque. The 120 Alevi residents of Catalkaya submitted a petition to the Sivas Governor in protest. At the end of the reporting period, the building was no longer being used as a mosque, and the municipality had removed the imam.

In 2006 authorities in the Istanbul municipality of Sultanbeyli reportedly halted the construction of a cem house on the grounds that the Pir Sultan Abdal Association, an Alevi group, had not acquired the necessary construction permits. Association officials said the local mayor and his staff had attended the groundbreaking ceremony and had promised not to interfere with the project, but the municipality reportedly filed a case against the association after it proceeded with construction following the ordered cessation. The case continued at the end of the reporting period."

Document(s): Open document

27.05.2008 - Source: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada

Query response on the situation of Alevis (2005 - May 2008) ("Situation of Alevis (2005 - May 2008) [TUR102821.E]") [ID 24251]

Document(s): Open document

23.11.2007 - Source: Austrian Centre for Country of Origin and Asylum Research and Documentation

Situation of Kurdish Alevis ("a-5781-2 (ACC-TUR-5782)") [ID 21933]

Document(s): Open document

06.11.2007 - Source: European Commission

Alevis face difficulties with opening their places of worship (Cem houses or "Cemevi"). Cem houses are not recognised as places of worship and receive no funding from the authorities. ("Turkey 2007 Progress Report [SEC(2007) 1436]") [ID 22373]

Document(s): Open document

06.03.2007 - Source: US Department of State

Situation of Alevis (as of 2006) ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2006") [ID 19901]

"Academics estimated the Alevi population at 15 to 20 million, including ethnic Turks, Kurds, and Arabs. In general, Alevis follow a belief system that incorporates aspects of both Shi'a and Sunni Islam and draws on the traditions of other religions found in Anatolia as well. The government considers Alevism a heterodox Muslim sect; however, some Alevis and absolutist Sunnis maintain that Alevis are not Muslims.

Alevi "cem houses" (places of gathering) have no legal status as places of worship. Alevis in the Kartal district of Istanbul continued to pursue a court case against a decision by local authorities to deny them permission to build a cem house.

In May authorities in the Sultanbeyli municipality of Istanbul reportedly banned the construction of a cem house on the grounds that the Pir Sultan Abdal Association, an Alevi group, had not acquired the necessary construction permits. Association officials said the local mayor and his staff had attended the groundbreaking ceremony and had promised not to interfere with the project; however, the municipality reportedly filed a case against the association after it proceeded with construction following the ban. [...]

Many Alevis alleged discrimination in the government's failure to include any of their doctrines or beliefs in the religion courses. An Alevi parent in 2004 filed suit in the ECHR charging that the mandatory religion courses violate religious freedom; the case was ongoing at year's end.

In April an Istanbul court ruled in favor of an Alevi father who requested that his son be exempt from the religion courses at school; in May, however, a higher court overturned the lower court's ruling."

Document(s): Open document

10.10.2006 - Source: International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights

Non-recognized minority: Alevis (history of Alevis; around 12 to 15 million Alevis in the country) ("A Minority Policy of Systematic Negation") [ID 18257]

"The Alevis are a religious community whose heartland is East Central Turkey. Alevism took shape in 9th century Anatolia thanks to influences from Central Asian faiths such as Shamanism, Zoroastrianism, and Manichaeanism. It was later also shaped by the emergence of Judaism and Christianity before being most strongly marked by Islam and becoming part of different Shia traditions.

In the 16th century, the Ottoman Empire took control of the Anatolian peninsula and persecuted the Alevis, who became victims of pogroms and accusations of heresy and were driven underground as a religious community. Having been forced to practice their faith in secret for many centuries, Alevis do not worship in mosques, but usually gather for religious ceremony in cemevis. The Alevis have no codified doctrine, accepted clergy, nor schools to communicate Alevi customs.

There are an estimated 12 to 15 million Alevis in Turkey, many of them Kurds, representing approximately 20% of the country’s total population. Most Alevis live in Central Anatolia, and, whereas they lived in mountainous and barren rural residences for centuries, they are heavily urbanized today. Ethnically speaking, followers of Alevism in Turkey are usually either Kurd, Turkmen, Turk, Zazas, or Azeris."

Document(s): Report
Press Release

10.10.2006 - Source: International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights

Alevis hindered from exercising their right to establish their own religious institutions, or cemevis, which currently do not enjoy a legal status as places of worship ("A Minority Policy of Systematic Negation") [ID 18446]

"[...] Alevis have been hindered from exercising their right to establish their own religious institutions, or cemevis, which currently do not enjoy a legal status as places of worship. Although the law does not specify the type of places of worships, applications for establishing cemevis have been rejected on the basis that they are cultural centers rather than places of worship – an excuse which is also lame in light of international human rights standards on the right to enjoy one’s culture. According to Diyanet leader Ali Bardakoglu, authorities are “not opposed to cemevis, but they are not an alternative to mosques.” Despite declared secularism, the Turkish state keeps funding Sunni mosques and preachers but not places of worship and clergy of other religions."

Document(s): Report
Press Release

10.10.2006 - Source: International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights

Compulsory participation in Islamic classes is form of discrimination against Alevi children ("A Minority Policy of Systematic Negation") [ID 18447]

"In Turkey, “Religious, Culture, and Knowledge of Morality” Islamic classes are compulsory for all school pupils except for non-Muslim minorities. Yet, the classes focus on knowledge from and about the Sunni religion, with no or at times even discriminatory statements about non-Sunni branches of Islam and about religions other than Islam. The compulsory participation in these classes is clearly a form of discrimination against, for example, the Alevi children who have no option but to attend state schools with such classes, as opposed to the children of recognized non-Muslim minorities who are exempt from the class. In 2004, Alevis had warned that if the government does not introduce separate religious education for Alevi children, they will lodge a case against it at the ECtHR in Strasbourg. According to media reports, the ECtHR ruled in the summer of 2006 that to make religion courses in schools obligatory for all Muslims, including Alevis, is a violation of the ECHR on the freedom of religion and conscience. In response to this recent criticism, the Education Ministry has announced that Alevism will be included in the curriculum of “Religious, Culture, and Knowledge of Morality” classes by 2007."

Document(s): Report
Press Release

27.09.2006 - Source: Federal Government (Germany)

Religious minorities and the right to hold religious festivals in public ("Antwort der Bundesregierung auf die Kleine Anfrage der Fraktion Bündnis 90/Die Grünen - BT-Drs. 16/2739 -") [ID 17997]

"Das öffentliche Feiern religiöser Feste ist möglich. Folgende Beispiele für öffentlich begangene religiöse Feste sind der Bundesregierung bekannt:

Das jährliche Fest der Alewiten zu Ehren von Haci Bektas¸ wird teilweise auch von Vertretern der türkischen Regierung besucht. Staatspräsident Sezer hielt vor einigen Jahren dort die Eröffnungsrede, Ministerpräsident Erdogan hat ein Grußwort übermittelt.

Am 1. April 2005 feierte die syrianische Gemeinde bei Mardin ein großes Frühlingsfest, zu dem auch Vertreter staatlicher Stellen kamen.

Während einer Zeremonie, bei der ein von dem griechisch-orthodoxen Patriarchen gesegnetes Kreuz von Tauchern aus dem Goldenen Horn geholt wird, kam es im vergangenen Jahr zu Demonstrationen einer kleinen Gruppe von Nationalisten. Von staatlicher Seite wurden diese Feierlichkeiten nach Erkenntnissen der Bundesregierung nicht behindert."

Document(s): BT-Drs16/2739

15.09.2006 - Source: US Department of State

Alevis and "cem houses" (places of gathering) ("cem houses" have no legal status as places of worship; authorities halted construction of cem house) ("International Religious Freedom Report 2006") [ID 18495]

"Alevis freely practiced their beliefs and have built "cem houses" (places of gathering), although cem houses have no legal status as places of worship. Representatives of Alevi organizations maintained that they often faced obstacles when attempting to establish cem houses. They said there were approximately one hundred cem houses in the country, a number that they claimed was insufficient to meet their needs.

Alevis in the Kartal district of Istanbul continued to fight a court battle against a decision by local authorities to deny them permission to build a cem house. In January 2005, Alevis in the Cankaya district of Ankara applied to acquire property to open a cem house. Municipal authorities consulted the Diyanet, which issued a letter stating that Alevis in Cankaya did not need a cem house because they could worship at a local mosque. Also in January 2005, the Diyanet issued a letter to authorities in the Sultanbeyli district of Istanbul stating that cem houses violate Islamic principles and Turkish law.

In May 2006, authorities in the Istanbul municipality of Sultanbeyli reportedly halted the construction of a cem house on the grounds that the Pir Sultan Abdal Association, an Alevi group, had not acquired the necessary construction permits. Association officials said the local mayor and his staff had attended the groundbreaking ceremony and had promised not to interfere with the project.

The Diyanet covers the utility costs of registered mosques, but not of cem houses and other places of worship that are not officially recognized. In May 2006, Diyanet President Ali Bardakoglu said the Diyanet could not provide such support to cem houses as it did not have funds for "supporting mystical worship.""

Document(s): Open document

15.09.2006 - Source: US Department of State

Mandatory religious classes in public schools do not include doctrines or beliefs of Alevis ("International Religious Freedom Report 2006") [ID 18497]

"Many Alevis alleged discrimination in the Government's failure to include any of their doctrines or beliefs in religious instruction classes in public schools. They also charged a bias in the Diyanet, which does not allocate specific funds for Alevi activities or religious leadership.

[...] In January 2004, an Alevi parent filed suit in the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), charging that the mandatory religion courses violate religious freedom; the case is ongoing. In a June 2004 report, the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance recommended that the Government either make the courses optional, or revise the content so that they genuinely and fairly cover all religions.

In April 2006, an Istanbul court announced its ruling in favor of an Alevi father who requested that his son be exempt from the religion courses at school; in May, however, a higher court overturned the ruling on appeal."

Document(s): Open document

15.09.2006 - Source: US Department of State

In June 2006, officials allocated land to Alevi organization for the construction of a cem house ("International Religious Freedom Report 2006") [ID 18524]

"In June 2006, officials in the Tasdelen municipality of Istanbul allocated land to an Alevi organization for the construction of a cem house. Members of the Alevi community said the decision marked the first time a cem house had been officially recognized as a place of worship, rather than as a cultural center."

Document(s): Open document

10.2005 - Source: UK Border Agency (Home Office)

Status of Alevis in turkish society ("Country Report - October 2005") [#40563],  [ID 13741]

for more detailed information seek out original document page 102

"6.129 The USSD report on religious freedom 2004 stated that:

“In addition to the country’s Sunni Muslim majority, there are an estimated 5 to 12 million Alevis, followers of a belief system that incorporates aspects of both Shi’a and Sunni Islam and draws on the traditions of other religions found in Anatolia as well. Alevi rituals include men and women worshipping together through oratory, poetry, and dance. The Government considers Alevism a heterodox Muslim sect; however, some Alevis and radical Sunnis maintain Alevis are not Muslims.” [5b] (p1)

6.130 The USSD report on religious freedom also noted that:

“Alevis freely practice their beliefs and build ‘Cem houses’ (places of gathering). Many Alevis allege discrimination in the Government’s failure to include any of their doctrines or beliefs in religious instruction classes in public schools, which reflect Sunni Muslim doctrines. They also charge a bias in the Diyanet [Directorate for Religious Affairs], which views Alevis as a cultural rather than religious group; the Diyanet does not allocate specific funds for Alevi activities or religious leadership. During a September [2004] visit to Germany, Prime Minister Erdogan told reporters that ‘Alevism is not a religion’ and said Alevi Cem houses are ‘culture houses’ rather than ‘temples’.” [5b] (p3)

6.131 The USSD report on religious freedom 2004 estimates that there are between 5 and 12 million Alevis in Turkey. [5b] (p1) The MRGI report ‘Minorities in Turkey’ published in July 2004 estimates that the Alevi population is 12–15 million. [57b] (p7) The European Commission 2005 report stated that there is an estimated Alevi population of 12-20 million. [71e] (p31) The US State Department Report (USSD) 2004, published 28 February 2005 noted that “There are an estimated 7 to 9 million Alevis, including ethnic Turks, Kurds, and Arabs.” [5c] (Section 2c) As noted by Zaman on 4 March 2005, “A report that was prepared by the US, showing the number of Alevis as between seven and nine millions has provoked a reaction from Alevis and triggered a debate among Alevis about their actual number…The great difference between the numbers given by different Alevi resources and the debate on the issue shows that even Alevis are confused on this issue. Cem Foundation Ankara Spokesman Alper Caglayan said: ‘Our actual number is 25,000,000.’ But Alevi writer Cemal Sener quotes 15,000,000, another Alevi writer Reha Camuroglu says between 12-18,000,000. ‘Bektasi Dedesi’ (Bektasi Master) Sakir Keceli gives the number at 10-12,000,000 and the head of Pir Sultan Abdal Foundation Kazim Genc puts it at 15,000,000.” [84a]

6.132 The World Directory of Minorities published in 1997 states that “Alevis differ outwardly from Sunni Muslims in the following ways. They do not fast in Ramadan, but do during the Ten Days of Muharram (the Shi’i commemoration of Imam Husayn’s martyrdom). They do not prostrate themselves during prayer. They do not have mosques. They do not have obligatory formal almsgiving, although they have a strong principle of mutual assistance.” [57a] (p380)"

Document(s): Open document

18.05.2005 - Source: Schweizerische Flüchtlingshilfe

Ongoing problems with recognition ("Zur aktuellen Situation - Mai 2005 ") [#32420],  [ID 13742]

"An der Lage der nicht-sunnitischen islamischen Aleviten hat sich im Berichtszeitraum nichts geändert. Probleme gibt es immer noch im Hinblick auf den zwingenden Religionsunterricht an den Schulen und die Anerkennung ihrer Gebetsstätten."

Document(s): Open document

06.10.2004 - Source: European Commission

Alevis are still not officially recognised as a religious community ("Regular Report 2004 on Turkey´s progress towards accession") [#26161],  [ID 13743]

"As far as the situation of non-Sunni Muslim minorities is concerned, there has been no change in their status. Alevis are not officially recognised as a religious community, they often experience difficulties in opening places of worship and compulsory religious instruction in schools fails to acknowledge non-Sunni identities. The parents of an Alevi child have a case regarding compulsory religious education pending before the ECtHR. Most Alevis claim that as a secular state Turkey should treat all religions equally and should not directly support one particular religion (the Sunnis) as it currently does through the Diyanet."

Document(s): Open document

21.06.2003 - Source: Schweizerische Flüchtlingshilfe

Lage der nichtsunnitischen muslimischen Gemeinschaften hat sich nicht verbessert ("Zur aktuellen Situation - Juni 2003 ") [#14557],  [ID 13744]

"Alevitische Minderheit

Die Lage der nichtsunnitischen muslimischen Gemeinschaften hat sich nicht verbessert. Die offizielle Haltung gegenüber den Aleviten ist unverändert. Von Aleviten vorgebrachte Anlie-gen werden vom Vorsitz für religiöse Angelegenheiten nicht weiterbehandelt. Die Aleviten beanstanden insbesondere den obligatorischen Religionsunterricht an den Schulen und die Darstellung in Schulbüchern, die der alevitischen Identität nicht Rechnung tragen, sowie die Tatsache, dass nur der Bau von Moscheen und religiösen Stiftungen der Sunniten finanziell unterstützt wird. Das sechste Gesetzgebungspaket sollte diesbezüglich Verbesserungen bringen."

Document(s): Open document

09.10.2002 - Source: European Commission

European Commission: There has been no improvement in the status of the Alevis ("2002 Regular Report on Turkey's Process Towards Accession") [#10217],  [ID 13747]

"There has been no improvement in the status of the Alevis."

Document(s): Open document

10.2002 - Source: UK Border Agency (Home Office)

UK Home Office: It is estimated that the proportion of Alevis in Turkey's Kurds is about 15% ("Country Assessment - October 2002") [#9887],  [ID 13748]

"6.144 The Alevis (or Alawis) form within Islam a non-orthodox current, in which Ali, son-in-law of the prophet Mohammed, plays a central role. Some Muslims think that Alevis (to the extent that they are recognised as Muslims at all and not regarded as heretics) are very far removed from the Sunni current (which is widespread in Turkey) of Islam.

6.145 There are no official Turkish estimates of the number of Alevis. According to Alevis' own information, there are twelve to twenty million Alevis living in Turkey (the population of which is 67.8 million). Other sources report that a considerably smaller proportion of the Turkish population is Alevi. A fully accurate estimate is difficult if not impossible. As far as the proportion of Alevis in Turkey's Kurds is concerned, it is estimated that the proportion is about 15%.

6.146 Alevis differ outwardly from Sunni Muslims in the following ways. (i) They do not fast in Ramadan, but do during the Ten Days of Muharram (the Shi'i commemoration of Imam Husayn's martyrdom). (ii) They do not prostrate themselves during prayer. (iii) They do not have mosques, but instead use houses of worship (cemevi (singular), cemevleri (plural)), which also act as socio-cultural centres. In smaller communities meetings are also held at home. (iv) They do not have obligatory formal almsgiving, although they have a strong principle of mutual assistance.

6.147 Ethnic Turkish Alevis are found in central, western and northern Anatolia, especially around Sivas, Tokat, Yozgat, Nevþehir, Çorum, Amasya and Erzincan. Kurdish Alevis are widespread in Bingöl, Maraþ, Malatya, Erzincan and Tunceli provinces (i.e. the marginal areas between the mainly Kurdish southeast and the ethnic Turkish areas of Anatolia). A large number of Kurdish Alevis speak Zaza, rather than Turkish or Kurmanji.

6.148 Alevis were reviled as non-Muslims of dubious loyalty, and to avoid persecution they practised dissimulation, taqiyya. Until the 20th century, Alevis survived by living in remote areas, but with conscription and the drift to towns in search of work, Alevis, especially Kurds, have been increasingly exposed to Sunni prejudice and animosity. There has also been a change in what Alevism signifies. Traditional Alevism, based upon village and rural life, broke down in the context of urbanisation. In its place Alevism identified with the political left. The Sunni Islamic revival of the 1980s has provoked a reaction among Alevis. The revivalist process has been an ethno-political movement rather than a strictly religious one, with a spate of publications in Turkey concerning Alevi religion and history.

6.149 Both Turkish and Kurdish Alevis may be subjected to some bureaucratic discrimination as are other ethnic and religious minority groups in Turkey (for example, Christians). Many Alevis accuse the Turkish Directorate for Religious Affairs of being geared solely towards the Sunni faith. Nor does the Turkish education system allow any room for the Alevi interpretation of Islam. However, there is no evidence that Alevis are persecuted on account of their religious beliefs by the Turkish State. The state does not regard the Alevi faith as a separate religion, and the Alevis are not an officially recognised religious minority. Alevis' identity cards have "Islam" indicated as religion.

6.150 Alevis sometimes have a tense or even polarised relationship with the Sunni majority. Alevis have sometimes felt poorly protected by the authorities. [2(a)] Two highly publicized massacres of Alevis took place in 1978 and 1993. In 1978, at a time of widespread violent unrest, hundreds of Alevi Kurds in Maraþ were reportedly killed by members of a group known as the Grey Wolves (National Action Party). The 1993 massacre occurred in Sivas, when militant Islamic fundamentalists started a hotel fire that burned to death 37 Alevi intellectuals. Around 100 people were convicted for their involvement in the incident, with sentences of up to 15 years' imprisonment. In March 1995 serious violence occurred when militant Islamic fundamentalists opened fire on coffee houses in Istanbul associated with the Alevi sect. Two or three died in the original incident, and a further 25 died during several days of civic disorder which followed. The demonstrators had reportedly hurled petrol bombs at the police, who responded by firing into the crowd.

6.151 The Feb. 2001 report to Asylum Aid "Asylum seekers from Turkey: the dangers they flee" quotes one informant: "Police hate Alevis because they are left wing. This is the crucial issue. There is very generalised hostility to leftist people." The expectation on the part of the security forces that Alevi Kurds were likely to be leftists, and therefore liable to mistreatment, was voiced by a number of the authors' informants.

6.152 In recent years the degree of organisation within the Alevi community has increased. In 1995 the Alevi organisation Cem Evi was set up. The foundation does not experience any problems or opposition from the government as regards its publications and activities. The same applies, with occasional exception, to the small number of other Alevi organisations."

Document(s): Open document

15.04.2002 - Source: Council of the European Union

Netherlands delegation to CIREA: Alevis are not an officially recognized religious minority ("Note from the Netherlands delegation to CIREA: Official general report on Turkey, January 2002" Rf. 7838/02") [#7991],  [ID 13749]

"The Alevis or Alawis form a heterodox current within Islam in which Ali, the son-in-law of the
prophet Mohammed, plays a central role. Some Muslims think that they are very far removed from
the Sunni current of Islam, which is widespread in Turkey, to the extent that they are recognised as
Muslims at all and not regarded as heretics.
In any event, the Turkish state does not regard the Alevi faith as a separate religion, and the Alevis
are not an officially recognised religious minority. Alevis' identity cards have "Islam" indicated as
their religion. According to a February 2001 report on Alevitism from the Directorate for Religious
Affairs, Alevis are counted as Sunni Muslims and at first simply attended the mosques but have
recently replaced them with cemevleri (see below) 1. Some Alevis think that the Turkish
government does not do them justice by regarding them merely as a cultural group.
Alevis do not have mosques but use houses of worship instead (cemevi in the singular and cemevleri
in the plural), which also act as socio-cultural centres. In smaller communities meetings are also
held at home. In general, Alevis are considered very liberal on a religious level. Politically they
have a traditional tendency to associate with groups which endeavour to curtail Sunni domination.
In recent decades this has also been evident in associations with left-leaning political parties and
left-wing resistance movements.
There are no official Turkish estimates of the number of Alevis. According to their own
information, there are twelve to twenty million Alevis living in Turkey, which would make almost
one third of the Turkish population Alevi. Other sources report that a considerably smaller
proportion of the Turkish population is Alevi. A fully accurate estimate is difficult if not
impossible.
Alevis live across the whole of Turkey, with concentrations in the western provinces of
East Anatolia. In addition to the communities in Kahraman Maraş there are sizeable Alevi
communities in the provinces of Hatay, Sivas, Tunceli, Erzincan, Malatya, Çorum and Elaziğ. An
estimated 4,5 million Alevis live in Istanbul. There are also large numbers of Alevis in other big
cities.
The paradox in the position of the Alevis, who are by Turkish standards liberal, is that they
generally support the secularism advocated by Atatürk yet believe that cultural and religious rights
in the current state system are not adequately respected. For instance, many Alevis accuse the
Turkish Directorate for Religious Affairs of being geared solely towards the Sunni faith. Nor does
the Turkish education system allow any room for the Alevi interpretation of Islam. Alevis are
increasingly in favour of making religious instruction more objective.
In recent years the degree of organisation within the Alevi community has increased. In 1995 the
Alevi organisation Cem Evi was set up. The foundation does not experience any problems or
opposition from the government as regards its publications and activities. The same applies to the
small number of other Alevi organisations. The exception to this is the case brought against the
Cultural Alevi-Bektashi Union (ABKB) on 2 October 2001 with the aim of closing down the
organisation on account of its alleged incitement to religious hatred. The public prosecutor in
charge decided a little over three weeks later to drop the case.
Alevis occasionally have a tense or even polarised relationship with the Sunni majority. Since the
end of the 1970s Alevis have sometimes felt poorly protected by the authorities. This is related to
three incidents directed against Alevis in 1978, 1993 and 1995 in Kahraman Maraş, Sivas and
Istanbul. There were 30 deaths in the incident in Sivas. No further incidents overtly victimising
Alevis are known to have occurred since these three."

Document(s): Open document