HALKWEB-Alevi Bektashi Federation, Alevi Federation of Turkey, Hacı Bektaş Veli Anatolian Cultural Foundation, Alevi Cultural Associations and Pir Sultan Abdal Cultural Association organized a press conference at Taksim Hill Hotel to share their views on the current demands of the Alevi community.
The main agenda of the meeting was the massacres against Alevis in Syria. Despite their efforts, Alevi representatives complained that these massacres do not receive sufficient coverage in the Turkish public and media.
Speaking at the meeting, Mustafa Aslan, President of the Alevi Bektashi Federation, said that the lack of media coverage of the struggle carried out by Alevi organizations is worrying. Aslan said, “We all see the massacres carried out by HTS gangs in Syria. Alevis are being massacred and displaced from their lands. Women are kidnapped and raped. This is a genocide and we tried to tell the world about it, but the media in Turkey did not see this genocide.”.
“It is unacceptable to present the massacring organization wearing a tie as a representative of the country”
Emphasizing that HTS targets not only Alevis but also Druze, Christians, Kurds and secular groups, Aslan said, “It is unacceptable that this massacring organization is presented as a representative of the country wearing a tie today.” Stating that they also expressed these concerns in the Parliament, Aslan said, “AKP Group Chair Leyla Şahin Usta made a statement defending the massacre of Alevis. We asked for a humanitarian aid corridor to be opened and for a monitoring committee to go to the region, but we still have not received a response. On the other hand, the Foreign Minister of this country meets with Salafist gangs every day.”.
100 criminal complaints with no action taken
Zeynel Abidin Koç, President of the Alevi Federation of Turkey, stated that ISIS gangs have now become our neighbors and said, “We need to see this. Republican Sunnism is actually being destroyed. Today, Alevis have more than 100 criminal complaints, but not even one of them has been processed. Is there not a single criminal? On the other hand, criminal complaints against us are processed immediately. This is extremely disturbing.’.
“We see the partisan press acting almost like an officer of the gangs in Syria”
Friday Erçe, President of Pir Sultan Abdal Cultural Association, said:
“We see that the partisan press is acting almost like an officer of the gangs in Syria. The way a woman being killed and thrown out of a building or having her hair cut clearly shows who the press serves. Our neighbor is no longer Syria; it is a murderous organization formed by Israel, the US and ISIS gangs. The first thing the press should bring to mind should be the October 10 massacre, the New Year's Eve massacre and the attacks in Yalova. The press needs to tell the public about these in a correct and real way.”