Uyghur activists and supporters gathered in front of the Chinese Consulate in Sariyer, Istanbul, to protest Chinese oppression and religious persecution in East Turkestan.
The demonstration marked the 34th anniversary of the Baren revolution, a significant event in Uyghur history.
Responding to the call of the International Union of East Turkestan NGOs (IUETO), an estimated 400-500 Uyghur men, women, and children raised their voices against the Chinese regime, denouncing its policies and actions.
In a press release delivered at the gathering, IUETO Chairman Hidayet Oguzhan paid homage to the martyrs of the Baren revolution and strongly condemned Chinese authorities for imposing restrictions, including a fasting ban during Ramadan, on Uyghur Muslims.
Alimcan Bogda, President of the Uyghur Religious Scholars Union in Istanbul and a lecturer at Medeniyet University, highlighted Chinese deception in orchestrating selective visits by foreign delegations to East Turkestan. He emphasised that these visits were carefully curated to project a false sense of normalcy and conceal the realities of oppression faced by the Uyghur community.
Vice-President of the Union, Omer Shaikh, led the gathered crowd in prayers before breaking their Ramadan fast, underscoring the spiritual significance of the occasion.
Across the globe, Uyghur diasporas observed the anniversary of the Baren uprising with remembrance and solidarity. In Turkey, particularly in Istanbul, the sizable Uyghur community regularly organises protests to draw attention to the plight of their brethren in East Turkestan.
The demonstration in Istanbul echoes a global outcry against the Chinese Government’s treatment of Uyghurs, emphasising the urgent need for international action to address human rights violations and ensure justice for the oppressed minority.
(with inputs from ANI)
