The purpose of a surprise visit to the presidential palace that caused a stir in the Alevi community has been revealed. Taking a historical step, Gül has taken the Turkish republic’s first-ever Alevi educational institution under his wing.
An Alevi school located in the village of Tekke in Antalya’s Elmali district was active until 1821, when Ottoman Sultan Mahmut II cracked down on religious heterodoxy and the facility was looted. More recently, the Alevi Musa Abdal Foundation has rebuilt a part of the facility, adding an amphitheatre and helicopter pad, and the new Alevi school, along with student dormitories and a soup kitchen.