Amid Protests, PM Pledges “Reforms” For Alevis in Dersim
Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu attended yesterday a provincial congress of his party in the eastern province of Dersim - an Alevi dominated city that is officially recognized as Tunceli.
As various Alevi associations released a statement saying that authorities disregarded them, police assaulted with tear gas several groups who assembled to protest the visit of PM Ahmet Davutoğlu to the eastern province of Dersim.
Arriving to the city, Ahmet Davutoğlu and his wife Sare Davutoğlu visited the governor’s office as well as Tunceli Hacı Bektaş-ı Veli Culture Center and Cemevi [sacred place for Alevi people] complex and various Alevi clerics and officials.
The couple also had a selfie in front of the statute of Pir Sultan Abdal - a folk poet.
“No future with official ideology”
Davutoğlu said the following during his speech at Tunceli University:
“Everybody has different views on the Dersim Incident. We can put these through a historical research and wait for their results.
“[…] We are facing and saying it aloud. You have been tormented and it was a fault.
“Indeed, everybody concealed a lot of things in these lands. It is not time to hide things now, it is time for everyone to express their views regardless of their ideology, ethnicity and religion with a sense of pride.
“Nobody can build a future departing from a history that the official ideology imposes. We will talk our stories and share each other’s pain.
Tunceli University to become Munzur University
“A former military barracks will be transformed into a city museum. It will be named ‘Dersim Museum’. We have allocated 10 million liras [around 3 million euros] for this project. Our university president also wanted to see the university called ‘Munzur University’ and we accepted it. It is important to create an equal citizenship after leaving behind the psychological barrier by empathy."
Tear gas
Prior to PM’s visit to the city, police took notice, assaulting with tear gas a group of demonstrators who chanted slogans and headed towards Tunceli Municipality building. Upon that, Davutoğlu canceled his trip to the municipality.
Alevi associations' statement
Prior to the visit, 3 Alevi associations, Alevi-Bektaşi Federation, Federation of Alevi Associations and Federation of Alevi Foundations, released a statement, criticizing the government’s non-inclusive attitude towards a reconciliation with Alevi people.
“We must be able to face the truths in our history, especially regarding the massacres that Alevis faced. The state must open is secret archives. All dark details must be enlightened, the real responsible must be revealed. The pains of Alevi people must be alleviated.
“Uniliteral efforts to resolve this issue without including all stakeholders and negotiating will be non-binding for us. We are going to determine PM Ahmet Davutoğlu’s statements in the heart of our sacred city would mean this. The address of the resolution is clear: We are ready as stakeholders." (NV/BM)
* Click here to read the article in Turkish.