ALEVIS AND ALEVISM IN THE CHANGING CONTEXT OF TURKISH POLITICS: THE ALEVI OPENING

What is it about?

This article tackles with the actors, dynamics and processes involved in the JDP’s Alevi rapprochement. Each subject group – the Alevis (the leftist and the conservative wings), the General Directorate of Religious Affairs, the JDP, the National View Movement, the conservative media writers and the EU officials – is constitutive of a specific discourse and hence holding a deliberate position in the Alevi question. Therefore, each discursive unit composes the sub-sections of the discussion delivered throughout the paper. We aim to make an inquiry of the Alevi rapprochement in light of the positions, arguments and perceptions developed by each agency involved in the question.

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Why is it important?

The Justice and Development Party (JDP), since coming to power in 2002, has launched several reform programmes which in the previous decades were considered the red lines or bottle necks in Turkish politics. The JDP is the party that has made wide range of reforms necessary for the EU membership. This caused a complexity for students of political science as the party is the leading conservative party in the multiparty politics of Turkish party system accompanied by a wide discussion whether the JDP fell in the category of conservative parties or not. The JDP also started various policy initiatives in the sphere of international relations. The governing party aimed for Turkey’s greater involvement in Middle East, the Caucasian and Balkan affairs, mediation and arbitration role between the conflicting parties of the Middle East, peace making facilities towards Armenia and Azerbaijan and stability and security in Iraq. The Kurdish question has been another arena for the JDP to take important steps for its resolution. Last but not least, the Party, although mainly adheres to the Sunnite segments of the Turkish population, wants to attract votes from the Alevi minority and launch a rapprochement programme.