Who should be the Alevi Vice President?

Journalist Abdulkadir Selvi’s older sister, Fatma Kaya, once said in an interview, “My grandfather was a revolutionary man. Deniz Gezmiş stayed at my father’s house in Sivas. Our lineage is clear.” In the same interview, she expressed her reaction to her brother, Abdulkadir Selvi, stating that she no longer wanted to speak with him. This was because they were Alevi, and she claimed they were committed to their values. Her reaction to Selvi stemmed from this. As I mentioned just a moment ago, she could not reconcile her brother with their traditions and past, saying, “Can one grow up in such a home and become like this?” It was not possible; for Fatma Kaya, this was an unacceptable situation. For this reason, she addressed her brother by saying: “I wish he had sold simits and lived with honor.”

Now, if we were to propose Selvi as an Alevi Vice President, let alone other Alevis, I wonder what Selvi’s own sister would say to this situation?

Yavuz Bingöl is also one of the “famous” Alevis. His current stance is well-known. He seems almost enchanted when looking into Erdoğan’s eyes, losing himself, and expressing his admiration for him in every setting. Bingöl’s mother was Senem Akkaş, known by her pen name Şahsenem Bacı. She had hundreds of poems and dozens of folk songs. In her own words, Şahsenem Bacı was “a revolutionary folk poet.” She voiced the troubles of the people, while her son was merely an “artist.” Şahsenem Bacı spent her final years with Alzheimer’s disease and passed away in 2022. Years later, Şahsenem Bacı’s other son, Yavuz Bingöl’s brother Oğuz Bingöl, would write on his social media account: “Oh my mother, my beautiful mother, my brave mother, I never thought I would be glad that you had Alzheimer’s and were unaware of what was happening.”

Oğuz Bingöl said these words following the booing of Berkin Elvan. He was rebelling not only against those who booed but also against the state his brother had reached. These words also belonged to Oğuz Bingöl: “One does not become an artist by sitting at the table of murderers and worshipping power, but rather a mouthpiece by singing praises to the government. We will all watch together what kind of story, what kind of scenario will be concocted for a new position when power passes into the hands of the people.”

What would you say if we showed Yavuz Bingöl as a second candidate proposal? What would Şahsenem Bacı say to us, and how would Oğuz Bingöl react to this? Would he accept and be satisfied with this in the name of the tradition he came from and the Alevi culture he was raised in?

Devlet Bahçeli was the one who wanted one of the Vice Presidents to be Alevi. In other words, he is the cause of the subject that led to our article. We will continue with the Alevi candidate issue, but before moving on to that, it is necessary to remember Saniye Ateş, the mother of Sinan Ateş. Because according to mother Ateş, the murderer of her son was in the MHP. Mother Ateş had been saying this since the first day. Moreover, they also knew who the murderer was. On the other hand, the words Saniye Hanım said about the Ülkü Ocakları (Idealist Hearths) and Devlet Bahçeli were also quite striking. Anyone who wishes can look up the records.

So, the scene before us is this: Those who do not respond in any way to a mother’s cry, and those who are openly accused of committing a massacre, are bringing forward a proposal for an Alevi Vice President. The sovereign political order may swim in dirty waters, but since the sources that nourish the values that provide ink for our pens are far from these waters, we will certainly ask this question: How genuine can the longing for a democratic Turkey be from those who have been blind and deaf to the cries of those closest to them until yesterday? If, tomorrow, an Alevi Vice President remains a stranger to the screams of the aforementioned family, what will have changed? In this case, what does it matter if the Vice President is Alevi or Sunni! Also, of course, one should listen to Devlet Bahçeli and those closest to him from Mother Saniye Ateş and Sinan Ateş’s wife, Ayşe Ateş. While such a case stands in the middle, I don’t think playing the three monkeys suits anyone with dignity.

Let us return to the Alevi candidate proposal.

The Alevi-Bektashi Culture and Cemevi Presidency was established in 2022. Thus, for the first time, an institution would operate on behalf of “Alevism” under the state. However, a large portion of Alevis were not pleased with this. There are different reasons for this situation. But at this point, I would like to remind you of the names who have served as president of the institution in question. Ali Arif Özzeybek: He served as an advisor to Süleyman Soylu for a long time. Then he became the president of the institution in question. The first president..

The second president was Ali Rıza Özdemir. After Özdemir, a name who stood out with his nationalist views, Esma Ersin took office. Ersin had been an AKP member since her university years. She had been a member of the organizations, worked for the AKP, took part in elections, and even set out to be a parliamentary candidate. At the end of the road, she did not become a deputy, but she became an advisor to the Minister of Interior. Finally, she was given the task of the Cemevi Presidency. Who gave it? President Erdoğan. I think it is clear enough.

Ersin has a place from which she views life, an intellectual perspective she adopts politically and socially, and acceptances she possesses in light of these values. Therefore, primarily people’s political identities are decisive, not the affiliations they belong to, including Ersin. Look at how Ersin, who visited Bahçeli in recent days, announced this visit on her own social media account: “I had the opportunity to have a productive consultation on our social values and national sensitivities with Mr. Bahçeli, who has fought great struggles for the sake of unity and solidarity. I offer my deepest gratitude to Mr. Bahçeli, who is always a guide with his leadership stance, statesmanship, and insightful perspective, for his kind acceptance and valuable evaluations.”

Let us remember again that, according to Saniye Ateş, the murderers were in the building where Ersin conveyed her gratitude. If Ersin were appointed to the Vice Presidency, could she work on the Sinan Ateş file through the MHP? Could she go and talk to the family? As can be seen, the issue is not “Alevism” at all.

Or, if Ersin is appointed to the Vice Presidency tomorrow, would she have been brought to this position because she is “Alevi” or because she is an AKP member? If you ignore all of this, what remains in the name of Alevism; if nothing remains, then what does it matter if there is an Alevi Vice President or not.

One of the easiest ways to assimilate beliefs and communities, to strip them of their values and acceptances, is to include them in the system through individuals and to bestow positions and offices upon certain people. When this is the case, the groups on the periphery of these individuals will also be included in the system based on different expectations, and thus their objections to the system will be pruned, and their wings will be clipped, so to speak. In this respect, having an Alevi Vice President is a harm, not a benefit, to the path of Alevism to the extent that it keeps the groups around them silent against those in power. Because a Vice President can never fulfill the following words spoken in the cem ceremonies. In that case, they cannot be “Alevi” anyway.

“May you have no unfinished business with anyone. May your forehead be clear, your face be bright. Be honest, brave, and good-natured. If there is anyone you have made cry, make them laugh... Be among the perfect humans who have joined the ranks of the true saints. May the people be pleased with you, so that the Truth (God) may also be pleased.”