The birthday of Ali ibn Abi Talib, Prophet Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law, the fourth caliph of the Islamic State and a highly revered figure for all Muslims, especially for Shiites who regard him as the first Imam, will be marked with an official ceremony on March 21 in Ankara, Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmuş said on Sunday.
Speaking during a visit to a cemevi - a house of worship for Turkey's Alevi community - in the Çiğli district of western İzmir province, Kurtulmuş said the ceremony, which has not been held since it was banned following the 1980 coup, will be held this year.
"This ceremony will mark the reconciliation of the state with our Alevi brothers, citizens," Kurtulmuş said.
Alevism, which combines the Shiite interpretation of Islam with the indigenous shamanism faith of Turkic peoples, is the second largest faith group in Turkey in terms of the number of adherents.
The status of cemevis and the role of Turkey's Presidency of Religious Affairs in serving the Alevi community continues to be a contentious issue in Turkey.
