DEM Party Co-Chair Tuncer Bakırhan issued a statement over his remarks regarding the “Alevi Intellectuals Declaration.” Bakırhan said the expression “There are people we brought in from the street and made MPs” did not fully convey what he meant, and explained that by “the street” he was referring to people who had fought in politics and had contributed through their labor and words. Bakırhan said the expression was not meant to belittle anyone, and described politics as an understanding that creates space for the words and will of different segments of society.
Bakırhan said his criticism of assessments made in the declaration through the lens of Alevi identity, which detached historical reality from its context, remained unchanged. Stating that the concerns and objections of the Alevi community should be heard, Bakırhan opposed using this sensitivity to undermine the peace process. Reminding that Abdullah Öcalan had denied the minutes in question, Bakırhan said he did not consider it right to use a historical figure in the current debate and to infer from this that DEM Party or Öcalan were anti-Alevi. Bakırhan also said that Alevis are not guests of the Kurdish Movement but its founders.
Why it matters
The statement shows that the debate is not limited to the expression used by Bakırhan, but also raises the question of how Alevi identity should be addressed in political debates. While Bakırhan’s remarks defend the participation of different segments of society in politics, they also object to the way the concerns of the Alevi community are being linked to the peace process. For this reason, the issue is important in terms of how DEM Party’s political relationship with the Alevi community is to be understood. The emphasis on Alevis’ position within the movement takes the debate beyond the perception of a community offering support from outside. However, the extent to which the statement will clarify to the public the distinction between criticism of the declaration and accusations of anti-Alevi sentiment remains an open question.
Background
Bakırhan is not a new name in the FikirPilot archive: we have published 3 reports mentioning this name in the last 90 days; the most recent was dated 2 September 2026.