Turkish interior minister calls massacres of Alevis “theatre”

Ahval (Events) ^ | Dec 31 2018 | None Stated

[Texas Fossil]

During a tirade against outlawed Kurdish militants of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), Turkish Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu has referred to two of the bloodiest massacres in Turkish Republican history as “theatre” invented to “incite unrest.”

“Those old enough will remember the events in Çorum and Maraş. Dozens of our citizens were killed. It was complete theatre, designed to incite unrest,” Soylu said.

“We are living through 40 years of PKK incitement,” the interior minister added. It is unclear what link the minister was attempting to make between the massacres and the Kurdish militant group, which did not become launch its insurgency in Turkey until 1984.

Soylu’s comments were made in response to controversy over the 40th anniversary of the Maraş massacre, which authorities banned in the southern Turkish province this month.

Official records state that 111 citizens died when right-wing nationalist and Sunni Muslim residents of Kahramanmaraş province attacked left-wing citizens and members of the heterodox Muslim Alevi sect, Turkey’s largest religious minority.

The events took place during a period of extreme polarisation, leading left and right-wing groups to carry out attacks against one another.

A similar massacre occurred two years later in Çorum province in northern Anatolia. The attack was again carried out by nationalist and Islamist militants on Alevis and leftists, this time killing 57 people.

The instability represented by these massacres and similar attacks was used as a justification when army officers led a coup on September 12, 1980, after which hundreds of thousands were arrested and Turkey’s left wing was dealt a crushing blow.

The trials of the hundreds of right-wingers involved in the Maraş pogrom lasted until 1991, when hundreds were sentenced. However, thanks to a legal amendment made under then Prime Minister Turgut Özal’s administration, all those who received sentences were freed, and the case remains open.

The Çorum massacre has similarly..

[Texas Fossil]

I've read some of the Alevi website. They are not very easy to be found. They did seek to be left alone in the Mountains, some of the photos of where they lived is incredibly beautiful. From what I read they attempted to be token Muslims and avoided being assimilated into Turkish nationalism. They are labeled here as Leftist, that is a term that does not mirror our label of Leftist currently in the US. Regardless it did not justify Massacre. Which did happen.

And the most recent massacre of Alevi was in Efrin, Syria where there was a sizable community before the Turkish and ISIS forces invaded and killed or displaced 3-400,000 civilians.

"Theatre" should read "Big Lie" (that which Turkey continues to deny? Genocide and massacres that they still commit.)

And Turkey will again commit such genocide and massacre if no one else steps in to protect those in N. Syria when the US leaves.

[Texas Fossil]

Syria Ping

[huldah1776]

Could you provide link to the Alevi website? I’m a photo world traveler.

Do you know where the Alevi’s are now?

I did a little search and a NY slimes article has a couple of sweet pics. I love mtns. Title is a little ironic IMO

https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/28/travel/finding-paradise-in-turkeys-munzur-valley.html