ISTANBUL - DEM Party deputies and representatives of Alevi organizations visited the Santa Maria Church, which was attacked.

 

Representatives of Alevi organizations and members of the People's Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) visited the Santa Maria Church in Sarıyer, Istanbul, which was attacked with an armed attack during the Sunday service and where one person was murdered. Many people, including Democratic Alevi Associations (DAD) Co-chair Kadriye Doğan, Pir Sultan Abdal Cultural Association (PSAKD) Vice Chair İbrahim Karakaya, and DEM Party Istanbul deputies Çiçek Otlu and Celal Fırat, visited the church.

 

'WE ARE EXPERIENCED SIMILAR ATTACKS'

 

Speaking during the visit, DEM Party Istanbul Deputy Celal Fırat stated that the state wants to raise "a spiteful and religious generation" in Turkey. Fırat said: "Our hearts are broke, I shivered when I heard the news. Unfortunately, there is no point in speaking out against the situation. We condemn people being attacked while practicing their beliefs. We feel your pain in our hearts."

 

Okmeydanı Cemevi President Zeynel Şahin said: “It broke our hearts that such an attack occurred. Our hope is that such attacks will not happen again.” 

 

PSAKD Vice Chair İbrahim Karakaya said that Alevis were also subjected to similar attacks. Karakaya said: “We, Alevis, are one of the people who suffer from such events the most. As Alevis, we were subjected to these attacks in Sivas and Maraş. We need to create an environment of living together.”

 

Gazi Cemevi Cultural Foundation President Hıdır Karadaş said: “We will respond to such attacks jointly. This attacks will not break our unity.”

 

Alevi representatives learned with the speech of Lawyer Afşin Hatipoğlu that Tuncer Cihan, who lost his life in the attack on the church, was Alevi.