Alevi-Sunni relationship focused on conflict and the percept of the other

Abstract

One of the most basic features of today's societies is that they are formed as heterogenic structures, not homogeneous. Societies are areas in which certain features that consist of social categories that have generally different ethnic and cult features are loaded.
This feature of societies, as a wealth in cultural meaning, is enhancing the culture of tolerance and cohabitation, on the other hand, it may also include potential conflict and cultural tension as well. As a result, in our big cities where different social categories in ethnic and sectarian meaning are placed in, those urban stresses are witnessed from time to time. The cohabitation culture is an extension and result of the democratic culture. In our developing country, it is a well-known sociological reality that the democracy and the culture of democracy have not fully placed in yet. In this context, the reality of being unable to develop the cohabitation culture, acceptance of the entity of socially "other" and the culture of bearing the entity of socially "other" in the practice of daily life sufficiently and the conversion of this situation to conflicts and tensions from time to time remains its freshness in the memories.  The relations between Alevism and Sunnite and the conflicts should be evaluated from this perspective. The relations between Alevism and Sunnite have followed a rolling course in the historical  process. Although the behest of cohabitation has been transferred in general life practice, the unwanted events which were experienced in Sivas, Maraş and Çorum are the historical indicatives of this process that carries potential conflict of this practice.