On the 800th birthday anniversary of Haji Bektashi Veli, Gul calls for unity and solidarity

In his message marking the 800th anniversary of Haji Bektashi Veli, one of the most important Turkish Sufis and philosophers who shaped the Turkish worldview through an understanding based on human love and tolerance, President Abdullah Gul stressed the importance of concepts of equal citizenship and living together as fellows. "As Haji Bektahsi Veli, Yunus Emre and Mevlana Celaleddini Rumi suggested, the dignified Turkish nation is working in unity, fellowship and solidarity to build a powerful, prosperous, modern and democratic Turkey where everyone is equal citizens," Gul said. Haji Bektashi Veli contributed much to the establishment of unity in Anatolia in early last millennium thanks to his peace-, friendship-, love- and tolerance-oriented thoughts, and philosophy of life making coexisting of people from different religious, ethnic and cultural origins with different languages possible, Gul said. Stressing that the Turkish nation would continue to live in unity and solidarity in the future as in the last one thousand years, Gul said, "If everyone understands and loves one another, and respects each others' values and acts as a body, I believe that we can readily solve all our problems." Marking the occasion, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's message said, "The light ignited by great holy figures like Haci Bektashi Veli in hearts will continue to enlighten not only the Turkish people but all the humanity as well." In related news, commemoration ceremonies with various culture and art activities on the occasion were held in the central Anatolian province of Nevsehir, where Haci Bektaşi Veli's shrine is situated, with Culture and Tourism Minister Ertuğrul Gunay in attendance. Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Commemoration Day of Haji Bektashi Veli, Gunay also stressed the importance of unity and solidarity of the Turkish nation, and added that the Turkish people should continue its determined progress towards a better future by fully establishing an environment of peace, fellowship and solidarity across the country. Haji Bektashi Veli, who lived in the same period with Mevlana Rumi, united the Christian residents of Anatolia and Turcoman migrants with their educational and developmental activities and played an important role in the formation of cultural unity and central authority in Anatolia. Early in the last millennium, some holy men migrated to Anatolia, settled on mountains and empty crossroads and opened dervish lodges there. These institutions settled on empty land gradually became centers for culture, development and religious thought. In this manner, religious congregations spread everywhere, rules of morals, good breeding, attitudes and beliefs reached a high standard, knowledge and science were both produced and spread in these centers. The then administration encouraged such holy men to settle in villages, and their educational activities gave them some privileges. As a result, even in the most desolate places in Anatolia, dervish lodges emerged, and with the effect of the education they provided, a common cultural structure began to form. Haji Bektashi Veli was one of those figures who came to Anatolia from Khorasan, which is now a city in the province of Khorasan in northeastern Iran, with this purpose in mind. He was born in Nishabur district of Khorasan in 1248, spent his childhood in Khorasan, and was trained in philosophy and social and positive sciences at Hodja Ahmed Yesevi’s school, an important Turkish Sufi from Central Asia who had great influence on the Turkic nomads of the steppes. After traveling to Iran, Iraq and Arabia, Haji Bektashi Veli settled in Sulucakarahoyuk district the central Anatolian province of Nevsehir in 1275.