Following the change of government in Syria, there has been an increase in jihadist repression and attacks against Alawites in the west of the country.
There is a high probability that the events could get out of control at any moment and turn into an Alevi massacre.
These developments have brought to the surface the deep-rooted Alevi hostility in reactionary and fascist circles in Turkey. Those who, until recently, had difficulty expressing their hatred by using the word “Alevi” directly, coined the expression “Political Alevis”. When the posts are analyzed, it is understood that this expression is not coincidental and that it is produced by a single center and spread within the scope of a certain strategy.
When we look at some of the discourses, we see that they are very similar to the propaganda spread by the perpetrators of the Alevi massacres in Maraş and Çorum before September 12, 1980, as well as the comments made during the Ergenekon operation. These groups, having learned from their past collaboration with FETÖ, are very conscious about conducting perception operations.
Claim that Alevis who have difficulty in becoming guards have “infiltrated the capillaries of the state”
There are so many absurd posts that it is hard not to be surprised. For example, one of the accounts with many followers on Twitter claimed that political Alevis have “infiltrated the capillaries of the state”. In 22 years of AKP rule, during which Alevis have had difficulty even becoming guards, one would have to be either crazy or malicious to make such a claim. However, those who claim this are not crazy. On the contrary, they act with a certain consciousness. Their common characteristic is their enmity and hatred towards everyone who is not like them. This hatred is their biggest source of motivation.
Are new trumped-up investigations being planned to suppress the opposition?
So why are they now relying on the term “political Alawites”? Syria, overtaken by jihadist and extremist forces, is no longer a favorable place to live for different faith groups or secular Sunnis. Serious attacks here are inevitable in the near future.
The country is currently in the hands of Hayat Tahrîri al-Sham (HTS), which is considered a terrorist organization by the United Nations (UN), many international organizations including the European Union (EU) and many countries including Turkey.
They revised the Alevi enmity and put it on the market under the name of “Political Alevis”
The AKP government, on the other hand, has been very involved in the process in Syria and has become the protector of the new administration. Donald Trump, who will be the new president of the US as of January 20, 2025, praised Erdogan, stating that the change in Syria was due to Turkey's influence, and thus, in a way, transferred the responsibility for what will happen next to Erdogan.
Some religious circles, aware of the risks posed by this situation, want to suppress those in Turkey who have the potential to react to the developments in Syria and prevent them from setting an agenda. Since accusations such as “Assadist”, “Shabiha”, “Iranian” are not well known or insufficient, they have revised the older “Alevi enmity” and put it on the market under the name of “Political Alevis”.
Secularists are the main target
But this may go beyond the level of rhetoric. Some of them are making statements such as “investigate their foreign connections” or “liquidate their connections in the state”. This is a signal that fabricated investigations may be launched against the people they have targeted. If they follow the advice of these people and launch such a witch hunt through their possible connections in the judiciary, it is possible that they will not find enough Alevis in the state to liquidate, so they will turn to secular and Kemalist people from different backgrounds in the bureaucracy. They may resort to fabrications such as “political Alevis” and “Iranian connections” to intimidate secular and Kemalist people in the public sector. In fact, a quick look around on social media has already revealed that some sensitive and well-known public figures who are not Alevis have been labeled as “political Alevis”.
Where are the plans for Iran in all this?
However, there is another dimension to this issue, which is another danger. It seems that those who are taking part in the change in Syria may play a role in a similar scenario in Iran within the framework of an international plan. Therefore, in order for the religious fascists to prepare the ground for this policy, sectarianism must be fueled. For this reason, Shiites are targeted as much as Alevis. This sectarian enmity is such a poison that some people rejoiced on social media when a plane belonging to cognate Azerbaijan crashed, saying “They are Shiites”.
In short, those who are trying to consolidate their masses with Alawite hostility at home may try to gain the overt and covert support of the US, Israel, Western countries and Arabs by appearing anti-Iranian abroad.
I don't think they care about the tensions that may arise in this process. After all, there are those among them who think that fomenting tension and hatred will benefit them.
Can there be political Alevism?
So, after all, can there really be a “political Alevism”? For something to be political, there must first be a political order that it proposes. Today, political Islamists exist because there is a proposed Islamic order. Alevism, on the other hand, not only does not have a proposed order, it does not even have the goal of making anyone an Alevi. In history, it is impossible to hear of an Alevi interfering with someone by saying, “It does not conform to my belief”.
For this reason, the Peace Party and the Unity Party of Turkey, founded by Alevis during the Republican era, could not survive because they could not find enough support from Alevis who could not break away from Atatürk's party, the CHP. There were also many Alevi delegates who voted for the candidate against Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, who comes from a family from Kureyşan, an important Alevi hearth, at the congress where he lost the election. Alevis, like every other group in this country, have at best practiced a limited form of fellow-citizenship, but even in this they showed in the last CHP congress that they are not very consistent and rigid.
I will not go into more detail to explain that there can be no political Alevism, because the greatest achievement of political religionists is that while they never show remorse for their crimes, they constantly make absurd allegations, forcing the people they are up against to defend themselves and struggle to prove that the allegation is not true.
“What crime are they preparing for with the claim of ”political Alevis"?
Therefore, instead of saying, “There is no political Alevism”, we should all ask aloud: “What crime are you, the Political Alevis, preparing to cover up with your words, what crime are you preparing to commit or what game are you preparing to be a party to? Tell us that first. We are aware and we will not play your games.”
They will hit the wall of conscience and brotherhood
In this process, people who believe in democracy, regardless of their views, need to be more united. What is the saying? “What's cooked in the neighbor's pot is cooked in ours.” 15 years ago's ISIS leader, yesterday's al-Qaeda leader Colani was in charge of Syria, and those who are glorifying Syria may want to bring the order there to this country. The only thing that can be done against the possibility of a new wave of religious fascism in Turkey is to stand together more firmly for democracy, secularism and brotherhood. This religious fascist wave will either hit the walls of the people's conscience and dissipate or it will drown us. But I am convinced that conscience and brotherhood will win.