Abstract
For several decades, the international community has criticized Turkey for failing to uphold the human rights and freedoms of its citizens and for not realizing the principles of non-discrimination and equality within its borders. As Turkey’s European Union (EU) candidacy proceeds, religious groups such as the Alevis claim to face discrimination and violations of their human rights and freedoms by the Turkish state. The Justice and Development Party (JDP, AKP) debated the Alevis’ problems and structured the Alevi Initiative, which conducted relevant workshops and discussions. Alevi arguments regarding their places of worship and the state’s religious education policy were identified as their main challenges. Alevis argued that the state’s policies on religious education and places of worship discriminated against them and violated their human rights. Through several human rights law cases before domestic and international tribunals, Alevis requested fulfillment, protection, and assurance of their human rights and freedoms. Several court decisions agreed that Alevis’ human rights and freedoms were being violated. However, the challenges and demands of Alevis still persist, as they contend that they have not succeeded in gaining the human rights and freedoms as required in contemporary Turkey under the JDP government.
References
Akgül, M., et al. 2010a. Ilköğretim Din Kültürü Ve Ahlak Bilgisi 12. Sınıf Ders Kitabı. Ankara: MEB.Search in Google Scholar
Akgül, M., et al 2010b. Ilköğretim Din Kültürü Ve Ahlak Bilgisi 9. Sınıf Ders Kitabı. Ankara: MEB.Search in Google Scholar
Akgül, M., et al. 2011a. Ilköğretim Din Kültürü Ve Ahlak Bilgisi 12. Sınıf Ders Kitabı. Ankara: MEB.Search in Google Scholar
Akgül, M., et al. 2011b. Ilköğretim Din Kültürü Ve Ahlak Bilgisi 7. Sınıf Ders Kitabı. Ankara: MEB.Search in Google Scholar
Akgül, M., et al. 2011c. Ilköğretim Din Kültürü Ve Ahlak Bilgisi 8. Sınıf Ders Kitabı. Ankara: MEB.Search in Google Scholar
Alevi Bektaşi Federasyonu. 2010. “AKP’nin Sahte Alevi Çalıştayı’na Katılmıyoruz.” Accessed January 28, 2010. http://www.alevifederasyonu.com/index.php?option=com_ content&task=view&id=412&Itemid =259.Search in Google Scholar
BBC. 2013. “Tuzluçayır: Ankara’da cami ve cemevi protestosuna polis müdahalesi,” BBC. Accessed September 9, 2013. http://www.bbc.co.uk/turkce/haberler/2013/09/130908_tuzlucayir_cemevi.shtml.Search in Google Scholar
BBC. 2015. “Ankara: Genç Alevi seçmen HDP, büyükleri CHP diyor.” Accessed May 19, 2015. http://www.bbc.com/turkce/haberler/2015/05/150519_ankara_yenimahalle_mamak_gs2015#orb-banner.Search in Google Scholar
Barnett, S. 2001. “Religious Freedom and the European Convention on Human Rights: The Case of the Baltic States.” Religion, State and Society 29:91–100.10.1080/09637490120074783Search in Google Scholar
Bell, M. 2006. “The Relationship between EU Law and Protocol No. 12.” In Non-Discrimination: A Human Right, Edited Council of Europe, 65–70. Strasbourg: Council of Europe Publishing.Search in Google Scholar
Council of Europe. 1950. “European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.” Accessed November 4, 1950. http://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6b3aa0.html.Search in Google Scholar
Council of Europe. 2000a. “European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms Protocol No.11.” Accessed November 1, 2000. http://conventions.coe.int/treaty/en/treaties/html/009.htmSearch in Google Scholar
Council of Europe. 2000b. “European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms Protocol No.12.” Accessed November 4, 2000. http://conventions.coe.int/Treaty/en/Treaties/Html/177.htmSearch in Google Scholar
Day, P. “Procedural Equality: A Reply to Mr. Ingram.” In Equality and Discrimination: Essays in Freedom and Justice, edited by S. Guest and A. Milne, 51–61. Stuttgart: Franz Steiner Verlag, 1985.Search in Google Scholar
Dressler, M. 2008 “Religio-Secular Metamorphoses: The Re-Making of Turkish Alevism.” Journal of the American Academy of Religion 76 (2):280–311.10.1093/jaarel/lfn033Search in Google Scholar
Dressler, M. 2013. “New Texts Out Now: Markus Dressler, Writing Religion: The Making of Turkish Alevi Islam,” Jadaliyya.com, Accessed June 19, 2013. http://www.jadaliyya.com/pages/index/12302/new-texts-out- now_markus-dressler-writing-religionn.10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199969401.001.0001Search in Google Scholar
Elizabeth, S. H. 2014. “Alevis Under Law: The Politics of Religious Freedom in Turkey.” Journal of Law and Religion 29:416–35.10.1017/jlr.2014.18Search in Google Scholar
Erdoğan, F. 2015. “Seçim Sürecinde Aleviler.” Bianet. Accessed May 29, 2015. https://www.bianet.org/bianet/bianet/164907-secim-surecinde-aleviler.Search in Google Scholar
Erol, M. U. 2012. “Remaining Loyal Despite Their Diversity: The Diversifying Identity of the Alevi-Bektashi Community and Their Continuing Loyalty to the Republic of Turkey.” International Review on Turkish Studies 2 (2):40–58.Search in Google Scholar
European Commission. 1993. “Copenhagen Criteria.” Accessed January 22, 2015. http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/policy/glossary/terms/accession-criteria_en.htm.Search in Google Scholar
European Court of Human Rights. 2014. “Turkey Must Reform Religious Education In Schools To Ensure Respect For Parents’ Convictions.” Accessed September 16, 2014. http://hudoc.echr.coe.int/webservices/content/pdf/003-4868983-5948734.Search in Google Scholar
European Court of Human Rights. 1968. “Relating To Certain Aspects of The Laws On The Use Of Languages In Education In Belgium v. Belgium.” July, 23, 1968.Search in Google Scholar
European Court of Human Rights. 2000. “Thlimmenos v. Greece.” Accessed April 6, 2000. http://hudoc.echr.coe.int/sites/eng/pages/search.aspx?i=001-58561#{"itemid":["001-58561.Search in Google Scholar
European Court of Human Rights. 2014. “Denying The Alevi Community Exemption From Electricity Bills – Granted To Places Of Worship – Was Discriminatory.” Accessed December 02, 2014. http://hudoc.echr.coe.int/webservices/content/pdf/003-4952135-6065927.Search in Google Scholar
Hurriyet Daily News. 2014. “Turkish PM Davutoğlu Says ‘Even An Atheist Should Have Religious Knowledge.” Accessed September 17, 2014. http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkish-pm-davutoglu-says-even-an-atheist-should-have-religious-knowledge.aspx? PageID=238&NID=71827&NewsCatID=338.Search in Google Scholar
Institute of Strategic Thinking (SDE). 2009. Alevi Raporu. Ankara: Öncü.Search in Google Scholar
Köse, T. 2010. Alevı Openıng and the Democratızatıon Inıtıatıve in Turkey. Istanbul: SETA.Search in Google Scholar
Küçük, A., and M. A. Küçük. 2009. Türkistan’dan Türkiye’ye Alevilik-Bektaşilik. Ankara: Berikan.Search in Google Scholar
Kılıç, M. C. 2008. Hangi Sünnilik. Istanbul: Etik.Search in Google Scholar
Mark Smith, N. 2011. Basic Equality and Discrimination: Reconciling Theory and Law. Surrey: Ashgate.Search in Google Scholar
Marzena, G. 2007. “Rituals of Alevi and Bektashi Religious Minorities-the Religious Relations in the Sunni Majority Environment in Secular Turkey” Asian and Pacific Studies 4:41–60.Search in Google Scholar
Massicard, E. 2013. The Alevis in Turkey and Europe: Identity and Managing Territorial Diversity. London: Routledge.10.4324/9780203111246Search in Google Scholar
Melikoff, I. 1998. “Bektashi/Kızılbaş.” In Alevi Identity, edited by T. Olsson, E. Özdalga and C. Raudvere, 1–9. Istanbul: Swedish Research Institute in Istanbul.Search in Google Scholar
Milliyet. 2015. “Alevi Tabanı HDP’ye Kayıyor.” Accessed March 10, 2015. http://www.milliyet.com.tr/alevi-tabani-hdp-ye-kayiyor/siyaset/detay/2025669/default.htm.Search in Google Scholar
Pojman, L. P., and R. Westmoreland. 1997. Equality. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Search in Google Scholar
Pretorius, S. P. 2012. “Framework of Communication Needed to Protect Against Human Rights Violations for Individuals Who Exercise Their Right to Religious Freedom in Minority Religions.” Verbum Et Ecclesia 33 (1):1–8.10.4102/ve.v33i1.516Search in Google Scholar
Prime Ministry of Republic of Turkey. 2010. Alevi Çalıştayı Nihai Raporu. Ankara: Başak.Search in Google Scholar
Relaño, E. 2010. “Educational Pluralism and Freedom of Religion: Recent Decisions of the European Court of Human Rights.” British Journal of Religious Education 32 (1):19–29.10.1080/01416200903332049Search in Google Scholar
Rossum, W. M.van. 2008. “Religious Courts Alongside Secular State Courts: The Case of the Turkish Alevis.” Law, Social Justice & Global Development Journal 2. http//www.go.warwick.ac.uk/elj/lgd/2008_ 2/rossum.Search in Google Scholar
Shankland, D. 2010. “Maps and the Alevis: On the Ethnography of Heterodox Islamic Groups.” British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies 37 (3):227–39.10.1080/13530194.2010.543307Search in Google Scholar
Sofuoğlu, C., and A. İlhan. 2005. Alevilik Bektaşilik Tartışmaları. Ankara: Türkiye Diyanet Vakfı.Search in Google Scholar
Subaşı, N. 2010. “The Alevi Opening: Concept, Strategy and Process.” Insight Turkey 12 (2):165–78.Search in Google Scholar
Taylor, P. M. 2005. Freedom of Religion UN and European Human Rights Law and Practice. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.10.1017/CBO9780511616129Search in Google Scholar
Temperman, J. State-Religion Relationship and Human Rights Law. Leiden: Martinus Nijhoff, 2010.10.1163/ej.9789004181489.i-382Search in Google Scholar
Today’s Zaman. 2013. “Joint mosque-cemevi project will contribute to peace in Turkey.” Accessed September 9, 2013. http://www.todayszaman.com/news-325900-joint-mosque-cemevi-project-will-contribute-to-peace-in-turkey.html.Search in Google Scholar
Today’s Zaman. 2014. “Drug Use Will Spread If Religion Classes Not Required, Says Erdoğan.” Acessed September 29, 2014. http://www.todayszaman.com/national_drug-use-will-spread-if-religion-classes-not-required-says-erdogan_360188.html.Search in Google Scholar
Tomaševski, K. 2005. “Has the Right to Education a Future Within the United Nations? a Behind-the-Scenes Account by the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education 1998–2004.” Human Rights Law Review 5 (2):205–37.10.1093/hrlr/ngi014Search in Google Scholar
Tsatsa-Nikolovska, M. 2006. “Protection Against Discrimination Under the European Convention on Human Rights.” In Non-Discrimination: A Human Right Edited by Council of Europe, 23–35. Strasbourg: Council of Europe Publishing.Search in Google Scholar
United Nations. 1966. “International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.” Accessed December 16, 1966. http://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6b3aa0.html.Search in Google Scholar
Waldron, J. 1985. “Indirect Discrimination.” In Equality and Discrimination: Essays in Freedom and Justice, edited by Stephen Guest and Alan Milne, 93–101. Stuttgart: Franz Steiner Verlag.Search in Google Scholar
Zedian, D. 1999. “The Alevi of Anatolia.” Middle East Review of International Affairs 3 (4):74–89.Search in Google Scholar
Çarkoğlu, A., and N. Ça. ğın Bilgili. 2011. “A Precarious Relationship: The Alevi Minority, the Turkish State and the EU.” South European Society and Politics 16 (2):351–64.10.4324/9780203721827-11Search in Google Scholar
Özdemir, İ. 2011. Aleviliğin Yazılmayan Tarihi. Ankara: Kripto.Search in Google Scholar
Şener, C. 2009. Alevism with Questions. Istanbul: Pozitif.Search in Google Scholar
Cem Vakfı. “Cami-cemevi projesi, barış projesidir.” http://www.cemvakfi.org.tr/tum-haberler/cami-cemevi-projesi-baris-projesidir/.Search in Google Scholar
Türkiye Gazetesi. 2013. “Cami-Cemevi tartışması, Aleviler ne düşünüyor.” Accessed September 17, 2013. http://www.turkiyegazetesi.com.tr/gundem/76991.aspx.Search in Google Scholar
UN Human Rights Committee. 1990. “F. H. Zwaan-De Vries v. The Netherlands.” Accessed April 9, 1990. http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/undocs/newscans/182-1984.html.Search in Google Scholar
©2015 by De Gruyter