ABSTRACT
At the beginning of the 1980s, in the public consciousness of Turkey, the existence of Alevilik1, a centuries-old religious community, was nearly forgotten. In the course of the 1970s the majority of its members turned to socialism, abandoning their formerly religiously defined identity. Statements claiming the complete disappearance of Alevilik as a community were frequently heard throughout Turkey. Was Alevilik at this time really extinguished and merely a matter of history? The answer to this question came in a striking way. From the late 1980s on, Alevilik became the object of a dazzling process of rediscovery. The efforts at community revival were soon recognised by the public, and thus the “question of Alevilik” became one of the most discussed topics in the Turkish media.
