Istanbul [Turkey], February 6 : The International Union of Turkestan Organizations (IUETO) led a significant protest to mark the 28th anniversary of the Ghulja Massacre, an event that has become a symbol of the ongoing oppression faced by the Uyghur people in East Turkistan.
Around 1,200 Uyghur diaspora members gathered outside the Chinese Consulate in Istanbul on Wednesday, urging the international community to take stronger action against China's continued genocide and human rights abuses in the region.
The protest was led by Hidayet Oguzhan, President of IUETO, who highlighted the atrocities committed by the Chinese government on February 4 and 5, 1997, in the city of Gulja (Yining). On those days, a peaceful demonstration, sparked by the arrest of Uyghur women gathering for prayers during Ramadan, was violently suppressed by Chinese police and military forces. Hundreds of protesters were killed by gunfire, freezing temperatures, and brutal repression.
"On this tragic anniversary, we remember the lives lost in the Ghulja Massacre, but also all the innocent people who have suffered under China's continued occupation of East Turkistan," Oguzhan stated. "The Ghulja Massacre is only one of many horrific events in a chain of oppression that continues to this day."
IUETO used the anniversary to draw attention to the ongoing repression in the region, where millions of Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslim minorities continue to face systematic violence. Since 2014, China has escalated its genocidal policies in East Turkistan, including the mass detention of over 3 million Uyghurs in so-called "reeducation camps," where individuals are subjected to forced labour, physical torture, and indoctrination. The Chinese government has also imposed severe restrictions on religious practices, destroyed mosques, and engaged in forced sterilizations and abortions.
The protestors also called attention to China's efforts to erase Uyghur culture and identity. Under the "Sibling Family Project," Uyghur children have been forcibly separated from their families and placed with Chinese families for assimilation. This policy has led to the destruction of Uyghur family structures and the loss of cultural transmission.
In his speech, Oguzhan urged the international community to reject China's attempts to cover up these crimes through disinformation campaigns, particularly in the Turkish and Islamic world. "We cannot allow China to manipulate the truth. The genocide in East Turkistan is real, and the world must recognise it," he said.
IUETO's call to action urged the UN and Human Rights Council to take action under the Genocide Prevention Convention, governments to impose sanctions on China and support Uyghur rights, the OIC and Muslim-majority countries to stand with the Uyghur people, the Turkic States Organization to pressure China and recognize East Turkistan as an occupied territory, and for global recognition of East Turkistan's right to independence and support for the Uyghur struggle.
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