Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06TIRANA657
2006-06-19 16:31:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Tirana
Cable title:
WORLD BEKTASHI LEADER INVITED TO TURKEY:
how-toVZCZCXYZ0005 RR RUEHWEB DE RUEHTI #0657 1701631 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 191631Z JUN 06 FM AMEMBASSY TIRANA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4447 INFO RUEHTH/AMEMBASSY ATHENS 2934 RUEHBW/AMEMBASSY BELGRADE 2731 RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS 0675 RUEHVJ/AMEMBASSY SARAJEVO 0449 RUEHSQ/AMEMBASSY SKOPJE 4127 RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 0828 RHMFISS/COMSOCEUR VAIHINGEN GE RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 2171 RUEHPS/USOFFICE PRISTINA 3435
UNCLAS TIRANA 000657
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EUR/SCE (MBENEDICT)
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR AL
SUBJECT: WORLD BEKTASHI LEADER INVITED TO TURKEY:
RECONCILIATION AFTER 85 YEARS?
UNCLAS TIRANA 000657
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EUR/SCE (MBENEDICT)
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR AL
SUBJECT: WORLD BEKTASHI LEADER INVITED TO TURKEY:
RECONCILIATION AFTER 85 YEARS?
1. (SBU) On June 12, Bulent Arinc, head of the Turkish
parliament, visited the world headquarters of Bektashism in
Tirana, Albania. Arinc invited Reshat Bardhi, head of the
World Bektashi Community, to come to Turkey to participate in
a Bektashi feast August 16. This would be the first official
contact between Turkey and the particularly liberal Bektashi
sect of Shia Islam since it was driven out of Turkey 85 years
ago. According to Rasim Hasanaj, Head of the Albanian Cults
Committee, this overture was a step towards reconciliation
with Bektashism and was aimed at sending a political message
to the European Union that Turkey supported religious
tolerance.
2. (SBU) Ilir Dedej, Director of Foreign Relations of the
Bektashi Community, said that relations between the Turkish
government and the Bektashi Community began to improve last
year with the appointment of Suphan Erkula, the current
Turkish ambassador to Albania. According to Dedej, there are
some 2 million Bektashis in Turkey and Erkula is of Bektashi
heritage. Erkula made a personal visit to the Bektashi world
headquarters and later arranged for the Turkish Minister of
Culture to visit the Bektashi World Congress in December
2005. Dedej said that although Bardhi had visited Turkey
unofficially three times in the past, this would be his first
official visit as the head of the World Bektashi
organization. The Bektashis have accepted the invitation, in
principle, and the two sides are working together to finalize
the details of the visit.
RIES
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EUR/SCE (MBENEDICT)
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR AL
SUBJECT: WORLD BEKTASHI LEADER INVITED TO TURKEY:
RECONCILIATION AFTER 85 YEARS?
1. (SBU) On June 12, Bulent Arinc, head of the Turkish
parliament, visited the world headquarters of Bektashism in
Tirana, Albania. Arinc invited Reshat Bardhi, head of the
World Bektashi Community, to come to Turkey to participate in
a Bektashi feast August 16. This would be the first official
contact between Turkey and the particularly liberal Bektashi
sect of Shia Islam since it was driven out of Turkey 85 years
ago. According to Rasim Hasanaj, Head of the Albanian Cults
Committee, this overture was a step towards reconciliation
with Bektashism and was aimed at sending a political message
to the European Union that Turkey supported religious
tolerance.
2. (SBU) Ilir Dedej, Director of Foreign Relations of the
Bektashi Community, said that relations between the Turkish
government and the Bektashi Community began to improve last
year with the appointment of Suphan Erkula, the current
Turkish ambassador to Albania. According to Dedej, there are
some 2 million Bektashis in Turkey and Erkula is of Bektashi
heritage. Erkula made a personal visit to the Bektashi world
headquarters and later arranged for the Turkish Minister of
Culture to visit the Bektashi World Congress in December
2005. Dedej said that although Bardhi had visited Turkey
unofficially three times in the past, this would be his first
official visit as the head of the World Bektashi
organization. The Bektashis have accepted the invitation, in
principle, and the two sides are working together to finalize
the details of the visit.
RIES