Erdoğan's response to Özgür Özel on 'cemevi': 'Slanders are a clear provocation'

AKP Chairman and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan attended his party's Turkish World Vision Document Promotion Program.

Delivering a speech there, Erdoğan responded to CHP leader Özgür Özel's remarks, "The AK Party's logic is that they connected the Cemevi to the Ministry of Culture because they called it a 'Cemevi, Cümbüş evi'."

Erdoğan stated, "The slanders leveled against our party regarding our Alevi fellow citizens are more than just defamation; they are a clear provocation and an attempt to sabotage the brotherhood of 86 million. We reject these ugly characterizations that deeply wound our Alevi citizens, along with the millions who vote for our party."

WHAT DID CHP LEADER ÖZEL SAY?

Appearing as a guest on an Ilke TV live broadcast in recent days, CHP leader Özel had said the following:

"The AK Party's logic is that they connected the Cemevi to the Ministry of Culture because they called it a 'Cemevi, Cümbüş evi'. It should be connected to the Diyanet (Presidency of Religious Affairs). The Diyanet should not be just for Sunnis; once the Diyanet is for all religions, of course, if 99% of the population is Muslim, 99% of the budget should be spent on Muslims.

As much as the Sunni population is, that much of the budget should be spent on Sunnis, and as much as the Alevi population is, that much of the budget should be spent on Alevis.

We advocate for all Cemevis to be places of worship.

We are saying that there should be a department for Alevis, a department for Sunnis, a structure for Islam, and that for other religions, everyone should be able to use their budget rights in proportion to their population."