Face-to-face with Alevis

Hurriyet Daily News with wires

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The government’s Alevi initiative was one of the main issues covered during the AKP’s gathering in Kızılcahamam at the weekend. As a first step, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan assigned State Minister Said Yazıcıoğlu, Deputy Leader Nihat Ergün and Alevi-origin deputy, Reha Çamuroğlu, to prepare a camp with Alevis for face-to-face discussions.

The removal of compulsory religion classes, granting worship-place status to cemevis and turning the Madımak Hotel into a museum will be discussed at the meeting. A committee will submit an Alevi report to Erdoğan at the end of the camp.

Meanwhile, Alevi organizations gathered for a meeting Saturday, where the majority objected to the government’s plan to put Alevi leaders on a salary. Veli Ulusoy, a member of Hacı Bektaşi Veli Dergah, an important Alevi organization, said if there was such an idea, it was only aimed at creating the state’s own Alevism.