Alevis constitute the largest religious minority in Turkey and have faced persistent obstacles to the exercise of their religious freedom. In October 2022, the Turkish government announced its plan to create a new state-run Alevi institution—the Alevi Bektashi Culture and Cemevi Directorate—which officials say will oversee and address issues faced by Turkey’s Alevi community. The decision, however, has sparked controversy as the government itself has long refused to grant Alevis the recognition and rights that it has granted to other communities. Many observers view the decision as a politically motivated move intended to win over voters ahead of 2023 elections.

In its 2022 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended that the State Department place Turkey on its Special Watch List for the Turkish government’s severe violations of religious freedom. In March 2022, USCIRF staff visited Turkey and met with several religious and nonbelief communities, including Alevis, to learn more about ongoing challenges for religious freedom.

Aykan Erdemir, the Anti-Defamation League’s Director for International Affairs Research and a former member of the Turkish parliament, joins us today to discuss the Turkish government’s creation of an official Alevi agency, the range of issues Alevis continue to face, and broader challenges for religious minorities throughout the country.

USCIRF Releases New Report on Religious Freedom Under Syrian Rebel Group HTS

Washington, D.C. – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new report:

Religious Freedom in Syria Under Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham – This factsheet analyzes religious freedom conditions in northwestern Syria under the de facto governance of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a former al-Qaeda affiliate and U.S.-designated terrorist group. The rebel group continues to grow its administrative power in the northwest, including parts of the Idlib governorate, one of the last and largest strongholds against President Bashar al-Assad’s government.  Although HTS has cut formal ties with al-Qaeda and launched an active public relations campaign to rebrand itself as a legitimate civic authority, its authoritarian and ideologically driven governance—as well as its ever-evolving relations with other non-state and state actors vying for control in parts of Syria—puts northwest Syria’s religiously diverse population at continued risk.

In its 2022 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended that the U.S. State Department redesignate HTS as an Entity of Particular Concern (EPC) for its ongoing violations of religious freedom, and that the Treasury Department impose targeted sanctions on additional HTS leaders. In November 2022, USCIRF’s Spotlight podcast highlighted religious freedom under HTS’s recent governance. USCIRF also hosted a hearing on Freedom of Religion or Belief in Syria addressing both non-state and state actors’ violations of religious freedom.

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The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan federal government entity established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze, and report on religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion and belief. To interview a commissioner, please contact USCIRF at [email protected].