All Party Parliamentary Group for Alevis held their first annual meeting, inviting many distinguished guests from both British and Turkish political realm.
Opening the panel, the chair of and also the president of the secretariat, Joan Ryan welcomed the attendees. It was said “It has been a year since the inauguration of the Alevi APPG at the House of Commons and life for Alevis, Kurds, Academics, Journalists and Democrats in Turkey has worsened due to ongoing political instability”
“Alevis today are more vulnerable and concerned for the future of democracy, freedom and liberty in Anatolia more than ever as the AKP government continue to tear away rule of law, justice and secularism”
After the failed coup attempt on the 15th of July 2016, with tens of thousands of journalists, Academics, democrats, political activists, leftists, women and children were imprisoned. The common note of the speaks reflected upon the fear of establishing a sharia state and taking Turkey back to the days of the Ottoman Empire where:
– A central, authoritarian, dictatorial regieme replaces a modern, democratic, secular state,
– Sharia law replaces rule of law,
– equality is replaced by religous male dominance,
– freedom of Speech and freedom of assembly has no meaning,
– the will of the people is no more,
– fear rather than choice will dictate over public representation,
– state brutality, murders and oppression will reign over the peoples will,
– improsement and death toll will rise with ISIS style rule.
It has been a year since the launch of the APPG and the 1st AGM will pick up from where it left November last year discussing the geo-political developments of Turkey and the Middle East and what it means for the people of Europe. Istanbul MP for CHP, Şafak Pavey said that the era requires people to stay strong and believe in intellectualism and democracy. The attendees were:
Zeynep Altıok MP CHP party Izmir Turkey
Safak Pavey MP CHP Party Istanbul Turkey
Muslum Dogan MP HDP Party Izmir Turkey
Kate Osamor MP Labour Party Edmonton London
Joan Ryan MP Labour Party Enfield North London
David Burrowes MP Conservative Party Southgate London
Catherine West MP Labour Party Hornsey & Wood Green London
Meg Hillier MP Labour Party Hackney London
David Lammy MP Labour Party Tottenham London
Peter Bone MP Conservative Party Wellingborough
