Diverse groups led by Turkey’s Alevi associations, non-governmental organisations and political parties, gathered in Istanbul for a “Secular Education, Humane Life, Democratic Turkey” rally.
The event saw participation from various political figures such as the main opposition party Republican People’s Party’s (CHP) Istanbul Provincial Chairman Özgür Çelik and the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (HEDEP) Co-chair Tülay Hatimoğulları, as well as representatives from socialist parties, trade unions and other NGOs.
Despite initial police intervention, the crowd gathered in Istanbul’s Kadıköy district and marched to the nearby Kadıköy Square, with slogans demanding secular education and civic equality for the Alevi minority, and against the mandatory religious classes in schools, which are based solely on the Sunni Islamic faith.
The main target of the protests was the ÇEDES (an acronym for “I am Sensitive to My Environment, I Uphold My Values”) protocol signed between the National Ministry of Education, the Directorate of Religious Affairs and the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
The ÇEDES project, which proposes the involvement of religious officials in providing “values education” to students in primary and secondary schools in the guise of “spiritual counselling”, has come under scrunity for falling foul of the principle of secularism, outlined in article II of the Turkish Constitution.
Addressing the crowd, Alevi-Bektashi Federation chairman Mustafa Arslan said that Turkey has been tending towards a Turkish-style Sharia (Islamic Law) under the rule and with the actions of the Justice and Development Party (AKP). “This country is ours. We won’t leave it to racists, authoritarians and fanatics,” he added.
The demonstrators also called for judicial independence, highlighting the case of imprisoned Turkish Workers’ Party (TİP) MP for Hatay, Can Atalay, whose release was ordered by the Constitutional Court but denied by the lower judiciary, in violation of the Turkish constitution.
