Alevis Take Three Newspapers And The State TV To Court

The Federation of the Alevi Bektashi Associations filed a criminal report against three newspapers for publishing material based on allegations that provoke people against Alevis, foster hatred towards Alevis regarding their “equal citizenship” meeting and those who participated in the meeting.

Head of the federation Ali Balkız said the newspapers Zaman, Yeni Şafak and Vakit distorted the meeting with expressions such as “The hands that planned Sivas and Gazi [incidents] are after a new game”, “First Kurds and now the Alevis are being provoked”, “They should first learn Alevi belief and then ask for Alevi rights”, “They are an organization based most on the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK)” and thus violated the principle of the objective news making.

Holding a press release in front of Ankara’s Hall of Justice before yesterday’s (November 19) criminal complaint, Balkız also said that by giving space to these news reports, the Turkish State Television (TRT) was also acting with bad intentions and thus violating the principle of objectivity. The Federation filed a criminal report against the TRT.

Balkız also added that “The TRT put aside the objective news making, aired nothing about the meeting until 18:30 the meeting day, and continued its approach of bad intention when reading from the newspaper headlines. As a state television, the TRT should treat every section of the society equally.”

Tens of thousand of the Alevite citizens had met for equal citizenship

In the meeting where tens of thousands of people from nine different provinces gathered for equal citizenship against discrimination, the Alevis demanded removal of the mandatory religion courses, abolishment of the Director of Religious Affairs, legalization of the  Alevi places of worship and making the Madımak Hotel in Sivas a museum.

Alevis also demand the removal of the statements that are derogatory to the Alevis from the school books, recognition by the state of the Alevi organizations, leaving of the Alevi acred places such as Hacı Bektaş Dergah to the Alevi organizations. (TK/TB)