The representatives of the Bektash sect in Turkey reacted to the plan of the Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama to establish a sovereign Muslim Bektash state on the territory of his country on the model of the Vatican.

According to the New York Times, the new state will be called “the sovereign state of the Bektashi order. There will be a separate government, passports and borders. It will cover 270 hectares on the eastern side of Tirana, making it, according to the American newspaper, the smallest country in the world. It will be characterized by relaxation in the use of alcohol by men and freedom of dress by women. At the head of this small state is destined to be the spiritual leader of the Bektash from Albania, Edmond Brahimai, known in his community as Baba Modi.

The representatives of the Alevi-Bektash Federation from Turkey in their statements published on the Turkish network Haber Global owned by Azerbaijan, say that Bektashism and "religious state" are concepts incompatible with each other.

In particular, the president of the Alevi Bektashi Federation of Turkey, Zeynel Abedin Koç, said: "As Alevi Bektashi living in Turkey, we maintain our position in favor of secularism. Bektashism is a belief system originating in Turkey. However, around 115.000 Bektashis also live in Albania. And this represents 5% of the population of Albania. I don't quite understand why there is a need for such a state. Is Turkish Bektashism part of it or is it an Albanian thing? We do not in any way approve of a faith-based state."

But the former president of the Alevi Bektash Federation and writer Ali Bakiz believes that the Bektash faith cannot create a religious state.

"The Bektashi Alevi sect has been living in these parts for centuries. Later, the Ottoman Empire expanded into the Balkans, reaching as far as Hungary, and Albania became the most important country for them. The Alevi-Bektash philosophy considers the 72 nations as one, advises everyone to be sovereign of their actions, love their impulses and words and stand on the side of the oppressed. A religious state is wrong. "Every state has power, while in the Alevi-Bektash faith there is freedom," said Ali Bakiz.

For his part, the current president of the Alevi Bektashi Federation in Turkey, Husein Güzelgül, has reportedly stated that while he considers the various steps taken by countries to recognize the faith of the Bektashi sect around the world to be generally positive, he also supports the view that the faith the Bektashis and the religious state cannot go hand in hand. "We do not consider the state based on religion to be right. Such a thing cannot exist where there is tolerance, peace and love", stressed Gjuzelgul.