The circuitous politicization of Alevism: the affiliaton between the Alevis and the left politics (1960-1980)

Abstract

This study scrutinizes the affiliation between the Alevis and the left-wing political movements within the context of the 1960s and 1970s. These years witnessed the dissolution of traditional Alevism, which had been based on rural/isolated life, as a result of urbanization. Turkey also experienced a rapid social and physical mobilization in these years. The social dynamics of Turkey in the 1960s and 1970s associated the dissolution of the archaic Alevism with the social mobilization of Turkey within the context of urbanization; therefore, the Alevis, who became more visible in the newly urbanizing environment, mainly remained a part of left-wing politics in that period. The left politics enabled Alevis to be integrated into the modern life and the centralized state apparatus during the dissolution process of traditional Alevism. In this regard, this thesis examines why Alevis politically moved towards the left movements politically during this time period. The affiliation between the Alevis and left wing movements is investigated in two dimensions. On the one hand, the Alevis’ relation with the Republican People’s Party on the basis of Alevis’ satisfaction with the secularist policies of the early Republican governments and the populist discourse of Bülent Ecevit are discussed. On the other hand, the affiliation between the Alevis and the radical socialist movements within the framework of the overlaps between the implications of nomadic characteristic of the archaic Alevism and the actual needs of the socialist movements of the era are examined. Moreover, the Unity Party of Turkey which addressed the Alevis indirectly and the Alevis’ indifference to the UPT are investigated while inspected the affiliation between the Alevis and left politics..