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RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHAK #2174/01 2340836
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 220836Z AUG 07
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3513
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RHMFIUU/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

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 002174 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL OSCE TU
SUBJECT: TURKEY:  ALEVIS CELEBRATE CULTURE, CALL FOR 
POLITICAL RIGHTS DURING ANNUAL FESTIVAL 
 
REF: A. ANKARA 747 
     ¶B. ANKARA 1288 
 
1.(SBU) Summary:  Tens of thousands of Alevis from across 
Turkey and the Balkans descended on the central Anatolian 
town of Haci Bektas on August 16 to take part in the largest 
annual celebration of their culture.  Celebrants came from 
afar to see the mausoleum of Haci Bektas Veli, a 13th century 
mystic who taught peace and tolerance, and whom followers 
believe descended from the Caliph Ali.  Participants reveled 
in a carnival-like atmosphere of music, dancing, prayer, and 
eating.  The festival also served as a platform for Alevis to 
espouse their political agenda, which calls for the GOT to 
recognize Alevis' right to worship in "cem" houses, permit 
them to opt out of mandatory (Sunni) religious education 
classes in primary and secondary school, and end the GOT 
practice of excluding Alevis from Sunni-dominated government 
institutions such as the Directorate of Religious Affairs 
(Diyanet).  End summary. 
 
------------------------------------------- 
Alevi Masses Convene For Annual Celebration 
------------------------------------------- 
 
2.(U) On August 15 and 16, bus-loads of Alevis descended on 
the quiet Anatolian town of Haci Bektas from far and wide: 
Turkish provinces of Isparta, Tokat, Tunceli, Mersin, 
Antalya, and Erzincan, as well as from Germany, Bulgaria, 
Albania, and other European and Balkan countries.  Featuring 
prominently in the crowd were scores of Roma, who converted 
to Alevism nearly a century ago, coming from Istanbul and 
eastern and southern Anatolia.  Most visitors make the 
pilgrimage each year to the tomb of 13th century mystic Haci 
Bektas Veli, a revered teacher of peace and tolerance who 
Alevis believe to be descended from the Caliph Ali. 
 
3.(U) Turkish National Police (TNP) monitored the event by 
helicopter and on foot, but the festival lacked the necessary 
planning and infrastructure to accommodate the massive crowd. 
 The town of Haci Bektas has only one hotel  five kilometers 
from the festival's location and only one public toilet is 
available.  Most of the participants either came by bus for 
the day, or camped in and around the town.  Many slept on the 
streets.  Dozens of municipal workers were no match for the 
mountains of refuse.  Shopkeepers blamed the insufficient 
infrastructure on the mayor, a former military officer who 
they described as lacking in management skills.  They told us 
that in prior years the municipality had set up tents for 
shade and portable bathrooms. 
 
4.(U) Poor conditions did not deter the celebrants, who 
transformed the sleepy town into a carnival-like setting. 
Workers hung pictures of Haci Bektas in the public square, 
shopkeepers set up stalls where they hawked an array of Haci 
Bektas books and paraphernalia.  Men in shorts (a rarity in 
Turkey) and women danced together in the streets to 
traditional and modern music.  Volunteers handed out 
"Cumhuriyet", a staunchly secularist and nationalist daily 
newspaper.  Activists hung political banners proclaiming 
Alevis' right to celebrate their culture in "cem" houses, and 
calling on the GOT to end mandatory Sunni religious courses 
in school.  Colorfully-clad dance troupes performed 
ceremonial dances.  Alevi "Dedes", or spiritual leaders, 
performed the traditional prayer, called a "semah." 
 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
Celebrants and Speakers Call for Equality, Respect 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
5.(U) Alevis have long united in their belief in a secular 
government and opposition to right-wing parties. Comments at 
the festival showed Alevis' continuing skepticism of 
right-of-center or conservative political parties, which they 
view as antithetical to Ataturk's tenets.  Numerous attendees 
told us the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) is 
pursuing a not-so-secret agenda to Islamicize Turkey and end 
Alevis' ability to practice their unique culture.  Alevis do 
not agree among themselves on one political agenda or support 
one party.  Many told us they had lost hope in the opposition 
Republican People's Party (CHP), and several groups chanted 
 
ANKARA 00002174  002 OF 002 
 
 
slogans against CHP leader Deniz Baykal.  An Alevi farmer 
from Tunceli told us he voted for Democratic Left Party (DSP) 
in the recent election because CHP had "abandoned its 
socialist principles and turned into a close-minded and 
racist party."  Others said they still see CHP as the party 
that provides the most support to Alevi causes. 
 
6.(U) Haci Bektas Mayor Ali Riza Selmanpakoglu delivered a 
passionate keynote speech to an audience that included the 
governors from nearby Nevsehir and Kirsehir, DSP leader Zeki 
Sezer, several current and former MPs, local military 
commanders, and representatives from the Russian and Iranian 
embassies.  Selmanpakoglu called on the GOT to support the 
same principles of "enlightenment and tolerance" espoused by 
both Haci Bektas and Ataturk.  He stressed the importance of 
continuing Ataturk's principles of secularism, and warned 
that "foreign powers and their accomplices" are creating 
"artificial minorities."  Mayor Selmanpakoglu called on the 
GOT to: 
 
-Make compulsory religious courses optional; 
-Grant legal status to Alevi "cem" houses; 
-Change GOT policy of building mosques in Alevi villages; 
-Restructure the Directorate of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) 
to include Alevi scholars; and 
-Create a museum in place of the Sivas Madimak Hotel, where 
in 1993 Islamic extremists killed 36 Alevis by setting fire 
to the hotel. 
 
7.(SBU) Comment:  As in past years, the collaborative efforts 
of Turkish police, GOT-appointed and local officials, and 
volunteers made this year's Haci Bektas celebration a 
smoothly run event.  The festival was a rare opportunity to 
witness the strength of Alevi culture in Turkey.  Most 
impressive was the camaraderie of the tens of thousands of 
people from a wide array of socio-economic backgrounds, drawn 
together by a like-minded belief that they are outsiders 
treated unfairly by the GOT.  Although Turkey's heterogeneous 
Alevi community has not been able to form a cohesive 
political bloc (reftels), the festival highlighted Alevis' 
shared desire to be able to worship in their own way -- 
dancing and singing, men alongside women -- without 
restrictions imposed by governments or other faiths.  End 
comment. 
 
Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ 
 
MCELDOWNEY