VZCZCXRO5761
PP RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHAK #1822/01 1990838
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 180838Z JUL 07
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3005
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC//J-3/J-5//
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
RUEUITH/ODC ANKARA TU//TCH//
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUEUITH/TLO ANKARA TU
RUEHAK/TSR ANKARA TU
RUEHAK/USDAO ANKARA TU

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 001822 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/18/2017 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL OSCE TU
SUBJECT: TURKEY:  ALEVI GROUPS DEEM CHP "LEAST BAD" OPTION 
IN PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS 
 
REF: A. ANKARA 747 
     ¶B. ANKARA 1288 
 
Classified By: Political Counselor Janice G. Weiner for reasons 1.4(b), 
(d) 
 
1.(C) Summary:  Leaders from Turkey's leading Alevi 
organizations are frustrated that no party on the ballot 
espouses their main interests:  an education free of 
religious rhetoric, the right to worship freely in cem 
(prayer) houses, and a secular democratic system not biased 
toward Sunni Islam.  They unite, however, around the common 
belief that that the ruling Justice and Development Party 
(AKP) pushes an Islamist agenda and presents the most serious 
threat their secular, independent way of life.  Although 
Turkey's estimated 15-20 million Alevis are heterogeneous and 
have never supported one party en masse, our contacts agree 
that most will vote for the main opposition Republican 
People's Party (CHP) because they deem it the "least bad" 
option.  End summary. 
 
----------------------------------- 
Alevi Groups Clear:  Anyone But AKP 
----------------------------------- 
 
2.(C)  Leaders from Turkey's leading Alevi organizations, 
including Pir Sultan Abdal Alevi Association President Kazim 
Genc, Husein Gazi Association official Ali Yildirim, and 
Professor Izzetin Dogan, Chairman of the Alevi Cem 
Foundation, conveyed to us in recent meetings their 
frustration that no party in the current election advances 
Alevi causes.  All party platforms failed sufficiently to 
take into account Alevis' main demands:  an education free of 
religious rhetoric, the right to worship freely in Alevi cem 
(prayer) houses, and a secular system not biased toward Sunni 
Islam. 
 
3.(C) These leaders unanimously view AKP as their greatest 
threat.  Dogan and Yildirim told us AKP's platform and 
rhetoric promote a strictly Sunni Arabist view of Islam and 
has done nothing to further Alevi causes.  Genc described the 
GOT's Directorate of Religious Affairs, or Diyanet, as an 
exclusive, discriminatory Sunni organization that employs 
only Sunnis, and only meets with Alevi groups that share its 
views.  He found AKP's inclusion of several Alevis on its 
election list, and PM Erdogan's campaign visits to several 
Cem houses as disingenuous efforts to attract votes. 
 
4.(C) Other parties also disappointed these Alevis.  Neither 
the Democrat Party (DP) nor the National Action Party (MHP) 
platforms mentioned Alevis and MHP's espoused Koran courses 
in school and freedom to wear the turban (headscarf) in 
government offices and universities, neither of which these 
Alevi leaders support. 
 
----------------------------------- 
Alevis View CHP as Least-Bad Option 
----------------------------------- 
 
5.(C) CHP's platform is imperfect, but the least 
objectionable, according to our Alevi contacts.  CHP's 
platform states that the party supports Alevis' right to 
worship in Cem houses, opt out of now-compulsory religion 
courses in school, and a Diyanet that supports all religious 
believers equally.  Though several Alevi contacts see CHP as 
having become alarmingly close to the military, all concurred 
that a large majority of Alevis would end up voting for CHP. 
 
6.(C) Middle East Technical University (METU) Anthropology 
professor Aykan Erdemir, Turkey's foremost expert on Alevi 
issues, is unsurprised that Alevi groups are dismissing AKP's 
overtures as window dressing.  Although Alevis are a 
heterogeneous group who never support one political line, 
they share a strong fear that AKP is trying to increase the 
influence of Sunni Islam by consolidating control of 
government institutions such as the Diyanet.  Erdemir 
believes most Alevis will conclude that voting for CHP is the 
most effective way to counter what they see as a dangerous 
rise in Islam in society. 
 
7.(C) Professor Dogan stressed Alevi patience is running out. 
 
ANKARA 00001822  002 OF 002 
 
 
 Unless the new government proves willing to implement fully 
Article 10 of the Constitution, which establishes the 
principle of equality of religions, Alevis would have to come 
together to create their own party.  Dogan explained Alevis 
have avoided this to date because unlike "Arabist Islam," 
Alevism is not political.  He added that Alevis feared 
creating political divisions based on religion, such as the 
Sunni-Shia divide that has torn up the Middle East. 
 
8.(C) Comment:  Even though Dogan's fear of an Alevi-Sunni 
political chasm is unrealistic given Alevis' thorough 
integration into numerous Turkish institutions, many Alevis 
genuinely feel they are treated as outsiders.  AKP's 
increased outreach to Alevis during the campaign was a 
positive step toward inclusivity but not nearly enough to 
overcome Alevis' deep-seated suspicion that AKP is pursuing a 
secret Islamist agenda or alleviate Alevi resentment at not 
 
SIPDIS 
being recognized as a distinct, official religion.  Until 
Alevi groups are able to overcome their differences to form a 
cohesive coalition or political party, however, they are 
unlikely to have more than their current "least bad" choice 
of CHP to represent their interests. 
 
Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ 
 
WILSON