Turkey to Give Alevi Prayer Houses Legal Status
Turkey will give the prayer houses of its Alevi community a legal status, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Thursday, in the most significant gesture yet made to the country's largest minority faith.
Alevis pray in a "Cemevi", meaning House of Gathering, which is a less formal structure than a mosque and allows men and women to mingle freely.
Their registration under a legal status has been a key demand by Alevis, who comprise an estimated quarter of the Sunni-majority country's population of 76 million.
"Cemevis will be given legal status throughout the country," Davutoglu said as he unveiled the government's "action plan" for 2016 which includes a set of reforms he said was aimed at improving democracy.
Alevis have been a loyal ally of Turkey's secular system, but the state has never recognized their faith as an official minority, perpetuating discrimination.
In what the Alevi community hailed as a historic decision, a Turkish court in August ruled that the state should cover all the expenses of cemevis, as it does for mosques, churches and synagogues.
It followed a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) which said last year that Turkey's failure to exempt cemevis from paying their utility bills was discriminatory.
Alevis are a moderate Islamic sect who revere Imam Ali, the son-in-law and cousin of the Prophet Mohammed.
Theirs is a Turkish version of Alawism, prominent in neighboring Syria. It is sometimes considered an offshoot of Shia Islam.
They do not attend mosque with other Muslim sects and do not fast during the holy month of Ramadan. Alcohol is not forbidden.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan established a rare dialogue with the community, but Alevis have benefited little from the government's drive.
Other Alevi demands include an end to Sunni dominance in the religious affairs directorate, the government agency regulating Muslim affairs and the abolition of compulsory religion classes in schools.
In November, the Justice and Development Party (AKP) regained the majority it had lost in a June vote, a huge personal victory for Erdogan, who wants a new constitution to replace a military-drafted charter and expand the powers of the presidency.
Davutoglu on Thursday called for a new constitution that will embrace the whole nation "like a mother."
"Let's make a new constitution that our grandchildren will be proud of even 100 years later," he said.
Source: Agence France Presse
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