Even if the mass protests in Istanbul, Ankara or Izmir are barely audible due to rigid police measures, many smaller individual actions by protest groups in Turkey show that all the measures ordered or decided from "above", sometimes arbitrary, are no longer acceptable, agrees.

If, on the one hand, steps towards democratization have been announced, which then turn out to be flimsy, on the other hand, there are often steps that inevitably cause resentment and protest. So now also with the naming of the third Bosphorus bridge under construction.

Not enough that environmental groups are justifiably and emphatically taking action against the clearing of large areas of forest that serve Istanbul's drinking water supply, but now Alevi groups have also been called onto the scene and, not without reason, snubbed the planned naming: "Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge" is to be the name of the new, monstrous structure. No reason to worry?

Sultan Selim I ruled with an iron fist!

Anyone who is familiar with the history of the Ottoman Empire will find Sultan Selim I described as a sultan ruling with an iron fist. It was not without reason that the ninth Ottoman sultan, who ruled the empire from 1512 to 1520, was called "The Strict One". In the 16th century there were several uprisings by Shiite and Alevi groups in both Persia and eastern Anatolia. Even during his time as Wali (provincial governor) of Trabzon, Selim I fought these insurgents with an iron fist. After he overthrew his father from the throne because he did not want to see the impending Safavid danger and act accordingly, Selim I led an Ottoman army against the Safavids and routed their leader Şah İsmail and his troops. As a result, he had the Alevi ringleaders (Kızılbaş) investigated throughout Anatolia and punished them with execution or banishment. The exact number of victims of Selim I's policy is historically disputed to this day.

The Alevis' feelings are deeply hurt by the naming of the new bridge "Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge", provided the chosen name is retained. For the spokesmen of the Alevi associations, it is incomprehensible why they chose the name of this sultan.

"We strongly protest the proposed naming after Yavuz Sultan Selim - who has brought much suffering and pain to Alevis in the past - and demand that the name of the bridge be changed immediately," said Hüsniye Takmaz, chair of the Federation of Alevi Associations. on Sunday in Garipçe, where, according to the Turkish government, the left-hand pillar of the third Bosphorus Bridge, which is currently under construction, is to be located. The feelings of the Alevis are deeply hurt, she said in front of around 500 participants, including numerous representatives of Alevi associations.

Turkish Alevis have complained about state discrimination for years, both in Ottoman times and now in modern Turkish times. An estimated 12.5 million Alevis live in Turkey and make up around 15 percent of the population - although the official state statistics show that 99.8 percent of the Turkish population are Muslims. The static survey makes no distinction between Sunni Muslims and Alevis.

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