Turkey’s pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party Co-Chair Tülay Hatimoğulları has called for international action to halt sectarian violence against Syria’s Alevi (Alawite) community, warning that attacks threaten mass displacement and cultural erasure. Speaking in Hatay’s Samandağ (Süveydiye) district on Saturday, Hatimoğulları stressed the need to protect ethnic and religious diversity in order to build a democratic Syria.
“The Middle East has had enough of war and bloodshed. Today, Syria’s Alevi community faces systematic killings, and we cannot remain silent.” She stressed that the construction of a democratic Syria will require safeguarding ethnic and religious diversity.
Hatimoğulları’s remarks came during a meeting between DEM Party leaders and civil society representatives, Alevi organisations and local religious leaders at the Hızır Shrine in the city. The visit follows growing concerns about targeted violence against minorities in Syria.
Hatimoğulları condemned the killings, linking them to broader efforts to depopulate the region. “From Kerbala to present-day Syria, Alevi communities have suffered massacres. Now, they are being sacrificed like lambs on the pretext of regime change,” she said. “We refuse to accept this and call on governments and international bodies to intervene.”
She accused regional powers of prioritising strategic interests over human rights. “There’s more blood than water and oil beneath this land,” Hatimoğulları said, urging immediate dialogue with armed groups to halt attacks.
DEM Party Co-Chair Tuncer Bakırhan echoed these concerns, warning that eliminating Alevi and Kurdish communities would destabilise Syria. “Syria cannot exist without Alevis and Kurds. We must prevent this erasure and stand together for peace,” Bakırhan said.
Local Alevi leaders also voiced distress over the crisis. Sheikh Ahmed, a prominent religious figure, said, “Alevi people are being unfairly blamed for the actions of the regime and targeted for their faith. This persecution must stop.”
Zülfikar Çiçek, President of the Alevi Values Association, called for humanitarian corridors and international protection for civilians. “We are witnessing the early stages of genocide,” he warned. “This is a call for peace, unity and survival.”
The visit concluded with participants throwing carnations into the sea to symbolise hope for peace.
Hatimoğulları called on world leaders to prioritise dialogue. “Peace is our only option. Let’s build it together,” she said.
