Alawites in Turkey

For the much larger Alevi religious minority group in Turkey, see: Alevi,

Alawis in Turkey are the ‘Alawī population living in the Republic of Turkey.

Name

In order to avoid confusion with Alevis, they prefer the self-appellation Arap Alevileri ("Arab Alevis") in Turkish. The term Nusayrī, which used to exist in (often polemical) theological texts is also revived in recent studies. In Çukurova, they are named as Fellah and Arabuşağı, the latter considered highly offensive by Alawis, by the Sunni population. A quasi-official name used particularly in 1930s by Turkish authorities was Eti Türkleri ("Hittite Turks"), in order to conceal their Arab origins. Today, this term is almost obsolete but it is still used by some people of older generations as a euphemism.

Location

‘Alawī population is concentrated in three provinces: Hatay, Adana, and Mersin. They form the majority of the population in Samandağ (about 96%), in rural Antakya, and a large portion of the population in İskenderun. There are also Alawi villages in other districts of Hatay. Alawis live in Adana, Tarsus, Mersin and various small towns and villages around these cities. The town centre of Karataş (Orta Mahalle) is also inhabited by Alawis.

Population

The exact number of ‘Alawī in Turkey is unknown, but we know that there were 185 000 Alawis in 1970 (this number suggest ca 400 000 in 2009). As Muslims, they are not recorded separately from Sunnis in ID registration. In the 1965 census (the last Turkish census where informants were asked their mother tongue), 180,000 people in the three provinces declared their mother tongue as Arabic. However, Arabic-speaking Sunni and Christian people are also included in this figure.

Language

Alawis traditionally speak the same dialect of Levantine Arabic with Syrian Alawis. Arabic is best preserved in rural communities and Samandağ. Younger people in Çukurova cities and (to a lesser extent) in İskenderun tend to speak Turkish. Turkish spoken by ‘Alawī is distinguished by ‘Alawī and non-‘Alawī alike with its particular accents and vocabulary. Knowledge of Arabic alphabet is confined to religious leaders and men who had worked or studied in Arab countries.

Social traits

‘Alawī show a considerable pattern of social mobility. Until 1960s, they used to work bound to Sunni aghas around Antakya and they were among the poorest folk in Çukurova. Today, ‘Alawī are prominent in economic sectors such as transportation and commerce. A large professional middle-class had also emerged.

In recent years, there has been a tendency of exogamy, particularly among males who had attended universities and/or had lived in other parts of Turkey. These marriages are highly tolerated but exogamy of women, as with other patrilineal groups, is usually disfavoured.

‘Alawī , like Alevis, mainly have strong leftist political preferences. However, some people in rural areas (usually members of notable ‘Alawī families) may be found supporting secularist conservative parties such as True Path Party. Most ‘Alawī s feel discriminated by the policies of Diyanet İşleri Başkanlığı.

See also

• Arabs in Turkey
• Antiochian Greeks

Bibliography

• Fellahlar'ın Sosyolojisi, Dr. Cahit Aslan, Adana, 2005
• Arap Aleviliği: Nusayrilik, Ömer Uluçay, Adana, 1999