Numan Kurtulmuş clarifies remarks regarding Alevis: 'I would like to express my regret'

Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş responded to reactions from Alevi associations following a speech he delivered at an event held at Şırnak University.

Kurtulmuş stated that his speech was misunderstood, saying, "If even a single one of our Alevi brothers and sisters was offended, I would like to express my regret for this."

While responding to criticisms from Yeni Yol Party Istanbul MP Doğan Demir at the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) General Assembly, Numan Kurtulmuş stated that his speech was about the journey of unity and brotherhood in Anatolia.

"There is no expression in my speech that would offend our Alevi citizens," said Kurtulmuş, adding that, on the contrary, his words emphasized the importance of unity and solidarity in Anatolia.

Parliament Speaker Kurtulmuş stated, "Separating Alevis and Sunnis from one another is the greatest betrayal that can be committed against our history," and expressed that past unity enabled us to have a history full of victories. Furthermore, citing the words of Ali ibn Abi Talib, "People are either your equals in creation or your brothers in religion," he emphasized that they do not make distinctions among Muslims.

Kurtulmuş had faced backlash after citing the alliance between Yavuz Sultan Selim and Idris-i Bitlisi as an example during his speech in Şırnak.