by Emin Avundukluoglu
ANKARA
Turkish lawmakers criticized the German Federal State of Bremen which has legally recognized Alevism as a 'religion' separate from Islam.
Alevism is a Muslim sect. But the region of Bremen on Oct. 14 granted Alevism legal religious rights, giving it the same status as other religions like Judaism and Christianity.
In an interview with Anadolu Agency (AA), the Chairman of the Turkish Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee Ahmet Berat Conkar criticized the movesaying "This is a malicious political initiative which aims to destroy the harmony between Alevis and Sunnis in Turkey."
Conkar said "Alevism cannot be separated from Islam. On the contary, Alevism is a part of Islam. No country or federal state can make changes to Islam, whose norms are determined."
"This is an attempt to create trouble over Alevism," Conkar warned. "The Alevi citizens of Turkey who are discreet and adopt Islam should react strongly against political moves of this kind."
The Nationalist Movement Party's parliamentary deputy Group Chairman Yusuf Halacoglu - a historian and also the former president of Turkish Historical Society - agreed that this was a political move to create trouble by separating Alevis and and Sunnis.
"The decision was not taken in consideration of human rights, nor was it in sympathy with the Alevis. The decision is definitely a political move," insisted Halacoglu.
Recalling the ongoing neo-nazi National Socialist Underground trial, Halacoglu said: "Germany should primarily take care of this issue, if they would be fair, if they would act on human rights considerations."
Between 2000 and 2007, the National Socialist Underground is alleged to have carried out the murders of eight small-business owners of Turkish origin, a Greek immigrant and a German policewoman, without arousing the suspicion of the police or intelligence.
The German public only learned about the Neo-Nazi party's alleged responsibility for the 10 murders in November 2011, when two members of the organization died in a murder-suicide following an unsuccessful bank robbery.
The Bremen Federal State's social democrat mayor Jens Böhrsen signed the agreement with the Federation of Alevi Unions in Germany and the Confederation of European Alevi Unions.
Another German Federal State, Lower Saxony, has already signed a precontract with the Alevi organizations. The state plans to sign an agreement with the Alevis for the recognition of Alevism as a religion separate from Islam.
Sabahat Akkiray - a famous Turkish singer of Alevi origin, and also a member of Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party - thinks that Alevism is "a way" in Islam.
"We have some citizens in the Alevi society who believe themselves to be out of Islam, but a majority of Alevis identify themselves in Islam."
But another member of the main opposition party, Faruk Logoglu a former diplomat and former Turkish ambassador to USA disagrees. He called the decision of the German federal state "a correct move." "This kind of agreement should be signed in the other countries as well."
Logoglu said that the decision of Bremen state has been taken within the scope of German legislation and the country's constitution.
www.aa.com.tr/en
