Alewites at the processes of the European Union of Turkey

Alewites issue, which was soundly had started to discuss as from 90?s in Turkey especially after European Commission had appointed and carried out Progress Reports about Turkey at the Cardiff European Council June 1998. in this context, important relations which is valuable determined between integration process to European Union and Alewites wishes and requests. Topic has two faces situation. On the one hand the problem of defining Alewites that had a big controversy in Turkey agenda. Alewites which was caught with past theological background and modern paradigms had put under impression of defining authority. On the other hand that conception of Alewites had placed to an important position is that come from last decades of Ottomans to Turkey?s negotiations at the way of European Union Membership. From that point Alewites and ?Alewites issue? became trouble matter and group of enterprises of integration with West. There are two sources of this problem. First one is that Alewi organizations? had gave to meaning of Alewites and their past ideological methodology of approach in that meaning and second is intervention of European Union. That intervention on one side had got to be Alewites more and more insistent. On the other has got produced official policy by the way of governmental reforms. At this last point wishes and requests of Alewites had gain to importance. Requests of Alewites, which they have reveal before the process of European Union and had taken in to account with this process by the political Authority are intensifying on the recognizing Alewites identity, taking bigger place to Alewites about basic rights and freedoms, compulsive religious courses and position of the Turkish Religious Affairs (Diyanet ?seleri Baskanlığı). Today there is no common ground about Alewites but Alewites have demand to recognizing Alewites identity, more possibility of representation social and political, canceling religious courses or becoming optional, canceling Religious Affairs or taking account Alewites at the Religious Affairs and lastly they requests that Religious Places (Cemevi) should be open to prayer by the Official Authority. That requests had been expressed on the European Union progress reports. Keywords: Alewites, Alewi Organization, European Union Progress Reports