And the Prime Minister was Tansu Ciller, who was also the first female PM of Turkey. Ses partisans, qui portent un bonnet de couleur rouge avec douze plis en référence aux 12 imams du chiisme duodécimain, se font appeler Qizilbash. These are now believed to have been organized by the state. These tribes dominated central and eastern Anatolia for centuries with their religious warriors (ghazi) spearheading the drive against Byzantines and Slavs. Hundreds of buildings were attacked and burned down during the massacre, including the offices of the Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey (Disk), the teaching union building and the offices of the Republican People’s Party (CHP). Un article de Wikipédia, l'encyclopédie libre. At least 105 Alevis were murdered in the city of Kahramanmaras, or Maras, in December 1978 by Turkish nationalists (otherwise known as Grey Wolves) and other fundamentalist Muslims. Secret documents revealed the involvement of the Turkish security services (MIT) –including a relative of Grey Wolves leader Alparslan Turkes – and there are persistent allegations that the CIA helped plan the massacre, with Alexander Peck the operative named in government files. La région de Dersim constitue une région de hautes montagnes. Apparently a 16th-century folk musician from Sivas, Pir Sultan Abdal was known for playing a stringed instrument called the bağlama and singing songs critical of his Ottoman governors, in defense of the rights of the Anatolian peasantry. Because, the whole question of identity is a such a sensitive issue in Turkey, it is difficult to speculate about the real ethnic origins of Alevis. But the state is doing all it can to make us forget.”, The question most asked today is why the state is comfortable discussing the 1937-38 Dersim massacre but bans everything to do with the Maras killings. [5] Fevzi Gümüş, chair of the "Cultural Association Pir Sultan Abdal" claimed that the CIA and the deep state must have been involved. In Maras, it was the leftists and subdued Alevis who were the victims. There is a long list of incidents the state refuses to discuss. This order gained a great following in rural areas and it later developed in two branches: the Celebi clan, who claimed to be physical descendants of Hajji Bektash Wali, were called "Bel evlâdları" (children of the loins), and became the hereditary spiritual leaders of the rural Alevis; and the Babagan, those faithful to the path "Yol evlâdları" (children of the path) who dominated the official Bektashi Sufi order with its elected leadership. As a result, Mehmet Gündüz was killed on the spot and 10 persons were injured. So I think whether most Alevis are Kurds or Turks is a secondary question because I think the perception most Alevis have of themselves is that Alevis are a distinct group as a whole, not just Kurds and Turks who follow a different sect of Islam. There has never been enough confidence to discuss or research this particular area without being called spy or infidel or Zionist, or you name it, whatever insult they heap on people questioning or asking to know more. “A young boy was nailed to a tree by his forehead, like the crucifixion of Jesus. Alevi taboos limited interaction with the dominant Sunni political-religious centre. The Ottomans had accepted Sunni Islam in the 13th century as a means to unifying their empire, and later proclaimed themselves its defenders against the Safavid Shia state and related heretical sects. The AKP’s narrative doesn’t change: ‘Traitor provocateurs plotted these incidents to blame the innocent people and to blame Sunni Islam.’ Such a mind-set will not agree that the state is responsible. The Maras massacre started after a sound bomb was thrown into a cinema frequented by the right-wing on December 19. Again, thanks to all for taking the time to provide detailed answers. We support Ali’s Wife Fatma who is also A muslim. Most medical staff at the hospital were given letters of appreciation for their efforts, however because of the photograph Yazicioglu did not receive one. A group of fundamentalist Muslims and Turkish nationalists attacked the Alevi-populated Alibaba neighborhood on Sept 3-4, 1978. In mid 1970’s I took a 10 days long trip into the interior of Syrian Mediterranean coast My personal impression is that the Alawis of Syria are the descendants of the crusaders and the the locals, sort of the Amerasians, accepted by neither who over the centuries grew into a community of their own with their distinct religious interpretation and ethnic affiliation. Alevis were not only massacred in Yozgat, Tokat, Amasya, but also in Thrace and the Mediterranean. He accused the Maras authorities of hiding the graves of at least 40 people that were killed in the massacre. They roused anti-Alevi sentiment by proclaiming: “We are losing our religion. As they left a mosque after Friday prayers, they were soon joined by armed gangs, and together they began attacking Alevi houses in the neighborhood. [6], Rural Alevis were marginalised and discriminated against in the Ottoman Empire, although the official Bektashiya order enjoyed a privileged role through its close association with the Janissary professional military corps. He is also preferred by Alevi Kurds, who appreciate his protest against the Turkish establishment, over Haji Bektash Veli (whom they identify with the Turks). Soldiers who couldn’t stop the Maras massacre showed that they had the power to cope with all other armed groups. The more the state tries to forget such incidents, the more interest they arouse. After the Kızılbaş lost their power in Anatolia, they are assumed to have merged into the Anatolian Alevis. Us and we referred only to Alevis (Kurd or Turk). A great majority of the Alevi population left the town after the incidents. [2] Furthermore, many Alevis in Turkey do support the current 'Alawi ruler Bashar al-Assad in Syria. St. Gregory Armenian Apostolic Church Hosting Drive-By Food Festival, Hamazkayin Boston, NAASR to host online discussion of documentary ‘Vahe Oshagan: Between Acts’, Pan-Armenian Council of Western USA condemns Azerbaijan’s attack on Artsakh, ARS Central Executive Board: ‘Artsakh Needs You’, Azerbaijan Launches Deadly Attack on Artsakh, physical and verbal attacks against Alevis, according to the scholar Shahkeh Yaylaian Setian, twenty-two people were killed by Turkish security forces, Turkey’s Genocide Denial: Four Narratives, The Armenian Who Helped Create Today’s Turkish Language, The Evolution of Yannis: From Turkish Nationalist to Jailed Greek Activist, http://www.rubincenter.org/1999/12/zeidan-1999-12-05/, ARF-ER, AYF-ER Statement on Attack on Artsakh, Why repatriation to Armenia is a good idea right now, Stillborn Peace in Nagorno-Karabakh and the Limits of Official Diplomacy to Resolve the Conflict. [5] Ruşen Sümbüloğlu, chair of the "Association of Persons from 1968" in Ankara, claimed that the Counter-Guerrilla was behind the provocation. corporate media. The targets of the killings were Alevis, Kurds and revolutionaries with official records showing 111 people killed, although others put the death toll closer to 500. Yalincakoglu said, “The state knows where they are buried. The Corum massacre occurred between May and July of 1980. However, to ensure national unity, the unique Alevi identity was subordinated to the general Anatolian-Turkish national identity. Révolte Contexte Caractéristiques régionales, ethniques et historiques. Selon les sources, les Alévis seraient de 12 à 15 millions, soit entre 15 et 20 % de la population de la Turquie[5]. The Kizilbash tribal troops were gradually disbanded in favour of a regular Iranian slave army. Kurdish Alevis are sometimes still called Kızılbaş. Thirty-three intellectuals, mostly Alevis, as well as two hotel staff lost their lives in the fire. The Dersim massacre was started on May 4, 1937 and lasted until 1938. “The Kurdish attempt at independence in the Kocgiri revolt in 1919-1921 was answered with avenging massacres.”. En 1826 : abolition du corps des Janissaires et fermeture des tekke (couvents de derviches) bektachis [2],[3],[4]. It had hoped to woo Alevis into a pure Turkish nationalist camp and separate them from other oppressed minorities, especially the exploding Kurdish nationalism. Otherwise it wouldn’t ignore legality to prevent the Maras observance and wouldn’t invite the number one suspect of the Maras massacre, Okkes Kenger, to an Alevi workshop.”. Excommunication was the ultimate punishment threatening those who married outsiders, cooperated with outsiders economically, or ate with outsiders. [2], Later, the Bektashiyyah became the order of the Janissary special troops, tolerated by the Ottomans as its monasteries and pilgrimage centres could be manipulated to control its Alevi followers.[2]. )[5] Led by hereditary dedes, and sometimes by Bektashi dervishes, they practiced "taqiyya" (dissimulation, secrecy) about their religion. [2], Under The Adnan Menderes Government Administration, the Hacıbektaş centre was restored and reopened in 1964 as a museum, with annual celebrations in August for tourists in memory of the Saint. a mix of both? Dans la plupart des associations et des publications, sur les sites Internet alévis, Sivas est un symbole incontournable. The state has a great role in the escalating of the incidents and the slaughtering of the people.”. The PM was again Tansu Ciller, the leader of the DYP. Their supposed ancestry is not accepted by most shia Muslims today. As a result of the Turkish military campaign, the Kurdish quest for freedom was brutally repressed in 1921. They’ve proven themselves just as bad as Turks. Because the baby was crying the man put the baby in a bin somewhere and started running. All rights reserved. For the state to face up to this reality means facing up to its own crimes. Then a group of Turkish nationalists, during the day, were announcing repeatedly with loudspeakers: “We are losing our religion. ", Türkiye'yi sıkıyönetime götüren viraj: Maraş olayları, 'Maraş olayları tezgâh, yüzleşmek istiyorum', "Fourty [sic] years since Maras Massacre, suspect walks free - IPA", "Alevite Meeting for the Still Unresolved Maraş Massacre,", Struggling for Recognition: the Alevi Movement in Germany and in Transnational Space, Martial law and state of emergency in Turkey, Alfortville Armenian Genocide Memorial Bombings, How happy is the one who says I am a Turk, Sovereignty unconditionally belongs to the Nation, Democratic Society Coordination of Kurdistan, Freedom and Democracy Congress of Kurdistan, 2008 Turkish incursion into northern Iraq, August 2011 Turkey–Iraq cross-border raids, 2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Maraş_massacre&oldid=979790067, Terrorist incidents in Turkey in the 1970s, Articles containing Turkish-language text, Turkey articles missing geocoordinate data, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 22 September 2020, at 20:05. According to a statement by the “Zini Gedigi Initiative” made in 2014, about 100 Alevi boys and men were gathered from Surbahan and other villages (Mollakoy, Kismikor, Balıbey, Magacur and Girlevik) and were kept in the stable of Eyup Aga for three days. However, the wall of Sunni prejudice to the historically marginalized Alevi was not easily overcome, and Alevis remained to some extent the object of suspicion, in their turn remaining somewhat sceptical of the central state and its institutions. A ceremony due to be held in Maras on December 22 has been banned by the authorities, but Erbil insists it will go ahead and is planning to attend. According to official figures, 111 people died in the attacks, according to unofficial figures up to 1,000 people. Yalincakoglu believes the AKP is reacting reflexively as the state. Infrastructure improvements in Alevi villages were made conditional on compliance with mosque construction and the participation of all Alevi children in Sunni religious instruction. The coalition government of the time was the True Path Party (DYP), a centre-right party, and the Social Democratic Populist Party (SHP), an Ataturkist, center-left party. Hur also noted, however, that if there is strong public demand, or if the AKP feels the need for a revised agenda, it could bring Maras down from the shelf in a way unrevealing of the deep state. They do not have worship centers such as mosques or temples. Oppression of Alevis in Turkey is legal. Some Alevi groups accepted this Bektashi authority, while others did not. There are also Farsi and Arabic Alevies. Some leftist Alevi activists also turned against their own religious hierarchy, branding them feudal exploiters of the masses and driving dedes out of their villages. Sign up for the Week in Review newsletter. [10], The court cases, opened at military courts, lasted until 1991. It effectively ended his career in Maras. The career of Pir Sultan Abdal takes place in this context. “If you go to the Kizilay city center in Ankara today and ask people if they are Alevis, the majority will deny it,”  said Kemal Bulbul, an Alevi author and rights activist. Those involved in such affairs won’t volunteer to settle accounts unless pressed hard politically. A new generation grew up in the 1960s that had not passed through initiation and was not familiar with the Alevi "Way" (yol). If someone who knew the distinction between Turk, Kurd, and Alevi asked me what I was I would say Alevi. The commander of the military brigade told his troops to ‘shoot whoever lifts his head.’ Then a troop said that he shot one… I witnessed all of these things. They are putting bombs in mosques, too.” Around 20,000 people gathered in the city to attack Alevis. Do not translate text that appears unreliable or low-quality. I feel the same way. [2], However, the stigma of Alevism remained even as the younger generation tried to adapt itself to the secular Turkish identity. [5][7] The figures on casualties vary slightly. There was an effort to reclaim traditions and re-mark boundaries, a call to reconstruct Alevi culture, community, and identity. All of the captive Alevi boys and men were killed there on Aug. 6, 1938. The Maraş massacre (Turkish: Maraş katliamı) was the massacre of more than one hundred Alevi Kurds[3] in the city of Kahramanmaraş, Turkey, in December 1978, by the neo-fascist Grey Wolves[4] and conservative Sunnis. “Many were beheaded. We had a long stretch of amnesia after the Sept. 12 coup. Apparently, the Turkish state and many of its Muslim citizens remember that Alevis exist only when they want to attack or murder them. The 68 people who played leading roles in the pogrom were never arrested or investigated. Hundreds of people were attacking us the first time we went in 2010. The ethnic, religious, and political structures of the once Alevi-populated areas were changed tremendously. They claimed that the old forms were outdated and that Alevis must work for a radical restructuring of society. All we want is to be told where the graves are and to be allowed to remember. “A group of about thirty people attacked us, shouting ‘Allahu akbar,’” wrote Duzgun on his Twitter account. When I was growing up and hearing about the hardships of the Alevis as a whole and my family’s personal hardships in Turkey it was always the Sunnis (Turks) and the Shafi’is (a sect of Sunni Islam, which the very large majority of Kurds in Turkey belong to) that did the oppressing. Here's what you can now access. Your email address will not be published. It’s why I don’t give Kurds a pass on things like the Armenian genocide and why I do not support an independent Kurdistan in Turkey. The Alevi dargahs (shrines built over the graves of revered religious figures) have been raided, plundered, burnt down, and destroyed.”. Even as far east as Afghanistan and Pakistan, many Shias have "Qizilbash" as their family names.[4]. They are putting bombs in mosques, too.” Around 20,000 people gathered in the city to attack Alevis. La communauté alevi bektachi a principalement été persécutée sous l'Empire ottoman. Alevis found that they still faced discrimination in employment and education, and again turned to taqiya for stigma management, adapting to Sunni ways in order to get a share of the scarce resources. The atrocities that took place in the  Turkish city of Maras between December 19 and 26 1978 have left deep scars for the Alevi community, and with nobody held accountable, the quest for justice continues today. It’s a mix. People also gathered outside the hospitals, where injured people were being treated. De manière générale, Sivas est devenue, depuis le massacre, un thème central et récurrent du discours alévi. We are the followers of our prophet Muhammad Mustafa and his family. In the aftermath, 804 people were tried in court. Massacres of Qizilbash occurred. Al-Monitor - Intelligence on the trends shaping the Middle East. “What happened last night can happen in Turkey anywhere, any time,” Duzgun added. It’s difficult to say whether there are more Alevi Kurds or Turks, intermarriage among Turks and Kurds in Turkey is not uncommon. [2], The first massacre that targeted Alevi Kurds was the Dersim Massacre in 1938. A closer look at the history of Turkey reveals that one of the most routine and consistent policies of the Turkish state has been to murder its Alevi citizens or turn a blind eye while they are attacked. “Rumors were spread that Alevis were planning to bomb Sunni mosques. I do not know if reference to Alevis in Turkey is in distinction of Alawis of Syria. Secularist ideologies such as Kemalism and socialism seemed to have failed and not delivered the hoped for goods. Maybe Ms. Uzay Bulut or anybody else who knows can answer: Are Alevis in Turkey ethnic Kurds or ethnic Turks? The first massacre that targeted Alevi Kurds was the Dersim Massacre in 1938. There was only one such house left, but now they knocked that down also.”, Adding salt to the wound is the state’s refusal to allow any remembrance of the victims. Just £5 a month gives you the opportunity to win one of 17 prizes, from Uzay Bulut is a Turkish journalist and political analyst formerly based in Ankara. [2], The Bektashiyyah is a Shia Sufi order founded in the 13th century by Haji Bektash Veli, a dervish who escaped Central Asia and found refuge with the Seljuks in Anatolia at the time of the Mongol invasions (1219–23). "Citizen Kılıçdaroğlu: Turkish opposition chief in his own words", "Überall ist Taksim: Zehntausende demonstrieren in Köln gegen Erdogan" (in German), NYTimes.com. In Maras during Dec. 19-26, 1978, explosives and gun fire — amid provocations of “Communists are burning mosques” and “Our religion is at stake” — resulted in the deaths of 111 people, according to official sources, or 150, according to civil society sources. “I also know that Muslims consider Alevis non-Muslim heretics.”. For Yalincakoglu, the state’s warnings against the alleged threat of provocation is merely an excuse. The Sivas massacre (Turkish: Sivas Katliamı, Madımak Katliamı) refers to the events of July 2, 1993 at the Hotel Madimak (Otel Madımak) in Sivas, Turkey, which resulted in the killing of 37 people, mostly Alevi intellectuals. Malatya massacre April 17, 1978 Malatya Province: 8 Salafists: Alevi Turks: Salafist groups … Baki Duzgun, the President of the Alevi-Bektasi Federation, and some of his friends were attacked by a group local Muslims in the Sisli district of Istanbul on Oct. 22. The rebellion was led by Seyid Riza, an Alevi-Zaza chieftain of the Yukarı Abbas Uşağı tribe. Most of the victims were Alevis. The Malatya massacre started on April 17, 1978 and lasted for three days. “It was beyond killing, it was beyond massacre, it was pure hatred,” he said. be listened to, coverage of stories that would otherwise be buried. massacre de Dersim (1938), massacre de Zini Gediği (1938), massacre de Marash (1978), massacre de Çorum (1980), massacre de Sivas (1993) émeutes dans la banlieue défavorisée de Gazi (1995). Uniformed and plainclothes police officers, who had positioned themselves behind the barricades, on the side streets and on some of the buildings, fired intensively. Learned something new today. They harp on Dersim just to use it as political leverage against the CHP. Avery, this article can address your questions, although you should keep in mind that, since, in Turkey, asking about ethnicity during census is forbidden, the numbers are educated projections at best. “The pretext was again religion,” wrote the scholar Tozun Issa. Printing Press Society. Under Ismā`il (d. 1524) they became dominant in Eastern Anatolia and conquered Azerbaijan with its capital Tabriz, where Ismā`il named himself Shah in 1501 and went on to conquer all of Iran. You’re now subscribed to Al-Monitor. The Dersim rebellion (Turkish: Dersim İsyanı) was an Alevi-Zaza uprising against the Turkish government in the Dersim region of eastern Turkey, which includes parts of Tunceli Province, Elazığ Province, and Bingöl Province.

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