Today in Ankara, June 23, 2012

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Dear friends,

Today Zehra invited us to see a movie about the massacre and deportations of the Alevi population in Darsem (Tuncelli) organized by an Alevi association in charge of looking for the children forcibly adopted by Turks in 1938 to reunite them with their families. So at 17h, Yüksel, Huseyin, Nacho and Peter to Batikent, a new satellite city in Ankara 45 min away by metro. Huseyin was very good-looking with new clothes he had bought in the morning. At the metro’s exit, Zehra was waiting for us and took us to the place. A movie theatre in a very modern building. There were lots of people and Zehra introduced us to various men and women whom we didn’t know but were very amiable. And of course we met Leyla, Zehra’s friend who was organizing the event. Everyone in the hall was very  warm and welcoming, greeting each other, with hugs and more. Really the Alevis are our brothers and sisters. They have a special sensibility.

The film was centered on interviews to very old  people who told their experiences of the time. With good music and and images of actions against the Alevis, especially old pictures. We heard some persons crying but in general the atmosphere was light and smooth. After the movie, of which of course, we didn’t understand anything, there was a debate but we went out and joined Leyla to talk a little. We gave her a book of the Message for the association and she was thankful.

We talked about Tunceli (she insisted in calling the city Darsem) and told us that she has a house there and will attend the festival. We asked whether it was easy or difficult to find accommodation in the hotels and she said it was impossible. Already all full. But she offered a room at her house. With Zehra and Leyla we continued talking about how to find places to sleep for our friends who are going to Tunceli and Huseyin, Zehra and Leyla agreed to fix this issue for us. Zehra will be in Tunceli as well. So we already know there wll be 3 friends of ours there Zehra, Hulya and Leyla.

Leyla offered to be a guide to visit the important Alevi places. Caves were they did their semas when it was forbidden, tombs of the Alevi Masters, etc. It is a beautiful places, looking at the pictures in a brochure they had at the entrance of the theatre.

We invited Leyla to come home do some ceremonies and she was happy. She asked that we wait a while because she was still working. So Zehra and Peter sat in a bar and had chai and Huseyin stayed with Leyla. In the meantime we had lost Yüksel and Nacho but they called and at the end we all met at the bar’s terrace. We set off for our house and at the entrance of the metro there was a ballet by a group from Kars, Gurdjeff’s hometown. Very beautiful. We arrived home at 21:30. We did 2 ceremonies aand everything very well in a very good atmosphere while from the open windows the mosque called. In the salita reigned Peace and human warmth, while outside there was lots of noise. It was a very special experience, as if they were parallel worlds.

After the ceremonies we had a good chai with fruit and biscuits and we talked about the ceremonies and Leyla’s experience. We could deepen a lot and we also talked about the profound meaning of the sema and  the Alevi dances and Leyla told us many Alevis had lost contact with the experience of the profound spaces. It was a beautiful moment and we all felt very close.

At 23:00, they said good-bye. Yüksel will come tomorrow and we’ll see what happens. In the meantime, the house and the whole building where without water. But miraculously at 23h it came back. So, all was good.

It was a very hot day. So now, Huseyin, Nacho and Peter will go out to chill out in the Ankara night.

A big hug to all,

Nacho, Yüksel, Huseyin, Zehra and Peter