Sacred Alevi shrine vandalized in Antep
The Hacı Kureyş Shrine, an Alevi religious site in Antep, southeastern Turkey, was vandalized by unidentified assailants, damaging its cenotaph and other sections, Agos newspaper reported.
Authorities launched an investigation at the shrine in the Yavuzeli district, which attracts many visitors each year. Efforts are underway to identify those responsible.
Yavuzeli Mayor Mehmet Kaya condemned the attack, saying such acts targeting social peace were unacceptable. He described the shrine as part of the community’s shared cultural and religious heritage.
The Alevi Bektashi Federation (ABF) said recent attacks on sacred Alevi sites should not be viewed as isolated incidents but "planned and systematic attacks."
The failure to identify perpetrators in many previous cases had encouraged further attacks, it said, calling for a comprehensive investigation and for those responsible to be brought to justice.
The shrine is considered an important religious center of the Koreşan, also known as the Kureyşan, an Alevi lineage with roots in Khorasan. It also holds spiritual significance for the Çepni and Koreşan communities living in the region.
Alevis are a religious minority in Turkey whose distinct faith is rooted in Shiite, Sufi and Anatolian traditions.
Largest attacks on Türkiye's Alevis in decades raise concerns
(NÖ/VK)
