Tuncer Bakırhan: We will never accept a process that ignores Alevis

Addressing the Alevis, Bakırhan said, "Every member of the commission established in Parliament must speak while looking at the Hünkar (Hacı Bektaş Veli). Those who look at the Hünkar see peace. Those who look at the Hünkar speak in accordance with justice, act with conscience, act inclusively, and do not act with denial. A process in which the Hünkar guides hearts is a guarantee for us all. We will never accept a process that offers a table to the Kurds and democracy to the Kurds, but ignores the Alevis. If a table has been set, its other legs are the Alevis and the laborers. If rights are to be gained at that table, the Alevis, the laborers, and the oppressed will gain rights just as much as the Kurds do," he stated.

The 62nd National and 36th International Hacı Bektaş Veli Commemoration Ceremonies and Culture and Art Events, held in the Hacıbektaş district of Nevşehir, began today. The events will continue on August 17 and 18.

Invited to the podium to deliver a speech, DEM Party Co-Chair Tuncer Bakırhan said they had gathered for the voice that says, "A human should be a bridge to another human," adding, "This voice has been echoing in these lands for 700 years. This call is not of one era, but the common voice of all humanity. The word of our Hünkâr is our path. His breath is our breath. It is an Alevi saying: 'Seek whatever you seek within yourself.' We seek the truth in these lands, in the lands of the Hünkâr. I am glad you exist. I am glad we are together. I am glad we are united. Rest assured, if we can be together, the days when we will reach a democratic, enlightened Turkey are not far away, dear souls," he said.

"ALEVIS HAVE ALSO GIVEN GREAT STRENGTH TO DEMOCRACY"

Mentioning that Alevis have been a locomotive force in the struggle for democracy, the establishment of peace, the growth of brotherhood, and the dominance of justice from Karbala to the present day, Bakırhan said, "Alevis resisted and struggled. By protecting their faith, they also gave great strength to democracy. Dear souls, as a brother whose identity has been denied, I know very well what it means for a faith to be denied. Until recently, people lived by hiding their identities and faiths, but we broke that chain of fear together. We broke it by struggling. We shouted together and reached these days. We shared the same pain for a Turkey where all rights and faiths will be equal. We set out on the same path," he said.

Stating that they want to be free and equal citizens in Turkey's new century, Bakırhan noted the following:

"I believe we will achieve this together. Today, great games are being played over the Alevi souls. Assimilation traps are being set. This system is trying to ignore your will. It imposes on you the boundaries determined by the state instead of your own faith leaders. These activities carried out despite the Alevis must now be ended. The delivery of rights happens through a process where respect for rights is the subject. Your word and your will must be essential. You are excluded in appointments. You cannot take office in the public sector; the doors of the public are closed to you. You are eliminated in oral exams. Oppression and discrimination still continue for you. We want to shout here, in the presence of the Hünkâr, that this oppression will not and should not continue. The resolution of these problems can no longer be postponed. Turkey must abandon discriminatory policies, especially against Alevis. I want to reiterate my promise that we will struggle shoulder to shoulder with our Alevi souls in every field of life to ensure that discriminatory policies come to an end."

"KURDS LIVING IN SYRIA WILL NOT REMAIN SILENT TO THE MASSACRE OF ALEVIS"

Touching upon the fact that Alevis are being massacred in many parts of the Middle East today, Bakırhan said, "Our Alevi brothers and sisters in Syria were subjected to a massacre. In Latakia, Hama, Tartus, and Aleppo, Alevi villages were burned, and Alevis were slaughtered. Alevi women were kidnapped. Children were left orphaned. They are our brothers and sisters. Their right to life is our right to life. I want to voice once again in your presence that we will not remain silent to this massacre, and that the Kurds living in Syria will not remain silent in the face of this massacre either," he said.

Emphasizing that they will never allow new Karbalas to be experienced by Alevis, Bakırhan said, "I want to state that we will struggle with all our might against the Yazids today, just as we did yesterday. True peace cannot be established without confrontation. From Koçgiri to Dersim, from Maraş to Sivas, from Çorum to Gaza, these massacres must be accounted for. The perpetrators must be tried, the pains must be acknowledged, and the truth must be faced," he said.