Damascus Ambassador Nuh Yılmaz’s remarks on dervish lodges: ‘Traditions we have lost’

Turkey’s Ambassador to Damascus, Nuh Yılmaz, made notable remarks regarding the closure of dervish lodges (tekke and zaviye) in an interview with Syria Now, a platform under the Qatar-based Al Jazeera network.

Speaking about the religious and cultural traditions he observed during his visits in Damascus, Yılmaz touched upon the closure of dervish lodges in Turkey during the Republican era. Yılmaz stated, “I see that some of our shared traditions that we have lost in Turkey continue here.”

Citing the Mevlevi order as an example, Yılmaz explained that after the closure of the Sufi orders, the postnishin (head of the lodge) of the Mevlevi order moved to Aleppo and continued its activities at the Mevlevihane there. Yılmaz described the fact that these traditions continue to live on in Syria as “extremely gratifying.”

In Turkey, dervish lodges, zawiyas, and tombs were closed by Law No. 677, which was adopted on November 30, 1925. Within the scope of the regulation, the use of titles related to Sufi orders such as sheikh, dervish, disciple, and dede were also banned. This law is among the fundamental regulations of the Republic’s secularization process.

In the same interview, Yılmaz also spoke about the expected visit of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to Damascus. Describing Erdoğan as a “lover of Damascus,” Yılmaz said that it would make him very happy to see Erdoğan pray at the Umayyad Mosque.

Ambassador Yılmaz stated that the previously planned visit to Damascus was postponed due to developments in the region, noting that they expect the visit to take place by the end of the year. Yılmaz also expressed his hope to see Erdoğan and Syrian President Ahmed Shara in Damascus “hand in hand, arm in arm.”

News Source: 12punto