‘The Conditions of Alawis Under 10 Years of AKP Government’

CENTRE FOR TURKEY STUDIES

WESTMINSTER DEBATE

‘THE CONDITIONS OF ALAWIS UNDER 10 YEARS OF AKP GOVERNMENT’

May 2012

Committee Room 6, House of Commons

Keynote Speaker:

Dr Aykan Erdemir CHP MP for Bursa (CHP – Republican People’s Party)

Chair: Eric Joyce MP for Falkirk

 

Turkey’s path to democracy is very much characterised as to how it deals with its minorities and embraces pluralism in its political reform process. The Alawi faith-based communities represent one of the largest minority groups in Turkey. Thus, this debate focused on the unique experience of Alawi communities in Turkey.

The Centre for Turkey Studies hosted this Westminster Debate with Turkish and British MPs. Dr Aykan Erdemir MP outlined the human rights violations that the Alawi community has experienced in Turkey and the struggles they have undergone in order to achieve fundamental rights and freedoms. Erdemir suggested that the current governing party, AKP, has taken some steps towards improving the plight of the Alawis by organising various meetings and workshops. However, he argued, the government’s attempts demonstrated a lack of understanding Alawis and their causes as the government also invited the prime suspect of the 1978 Maras Alawi massacre, Okkes Sendiller, to the workshops.

This Westminster Debate was hosted by Pat Macfadden Labour MP for Wolverhampton South East.

[slickr-flickr tag=”Aykan Erdemir”]