Memorial Meeting Held in Ankara on the 28th Anniversary of the Ghulja Massacre

A memorial meeting was held in Ankara for the 28th anniversary of the Ghulja Massacre. The Turkey Uyghur NGO Platform was established, and the recognition of the Uyghur genocide by Turkey was discussed with politicians and researchers.

On Wednesday, February 5th at 2:00 PM, seven Uyghur NGOs operating collaboratively in Turkiye—World Uyghur Congress Foundation, Uyghur Academy Foundation, East Turkistan Federation, Yusuf Has Hacip Foundation, Uyghur Science and Education Foundation, Ili Meshrap Uyghur Foundation, and Traditional Uyghur Medicine Research Foundation—held consultations regarding future cooperation mechanisms, hosted by the East Turkistan Research Foundation in Ankara’s Kızılay district.

As a result of the consultations, the Turkiye Uyghur NGO Platform was established with the aims of ensuring that the East Turkistan national struggle becomes a national issue for Turkiye, ensuring Turkiye’s recognition of the Uyghur genocide, strengthening cooperation among Uyghur NGOs, effectively maintaining Turkish NGOs’ role in the East Turkistan issue, and finding solutions to some unresolved important problems of Uyghurs in Turkiye.

The platform includes the Uyghur Academy Foundation, East Turkistan Federation, Yusuf Has Hacip Foundation, Uyghur Science and Education Foundation, Ili Meshrap Uyghur Foundation, and Traditional Uyghur Medicine Research Foundation as members. The World Uyghur Congress Foundation joined as an observer and collaborative member with external supervisory status.

The newly established Turkiye Uyghur NGO Platform organized a memorial meeting for the 28th anniversary of the Ghulja Massacre at 6:00 PM on February 5th at the Grand Dora Hotel in Ankara. The event was attended by three members of the Turkish Parliament, political party representatives, journalists, and Turkish NGOs such as Turkish Hearths, Azafli Azerbaijani Culture and Solidarity Association, and New World Foundation, along with Uyghur NGO officials.

The meeting began with Mahmut Emin Damolla reciting the Quran for all Uyghurs who lost their lives in the struggle for their homeland, as well as those who perished in East Turkistan, the Turkic world, and Turkiye. After the national anthems of Turkiye and East Turkistan were sung, Turkish parliamentarians, NGO officials, and researchers took turns speaking.

The meeting was attended by IYI Party MPs Ms. Ayyüce Türkeş and Mr. Buğra Kavuncu, IYI Party Ankara Provincial Chairman Dr. Yener Yılmaz and his deputies, Saadet Party Vice President for Foreign Affairs Mustafa Kaya, Great Unity Party (BBP) Vice President for Foreign Affairs Assoc. Prof. Dr. Emin Serin, BBP Vice President for Political Affairs Türker Yürükçüoğlu, New World Foundation President Uğur Özcan, Azafli Azerbaijani Culture and Solidarity Association President Lawyer Arzuman Azaflı, Isa Yusuf Alptekin Foundation President Cahit Dak, and board member Prof. Dr. Ömer Kul, along with many Turkish intellectuals.

Osman Mesten, MP from the AK Party, and Doğan Bekin, Istanbul MP from the New Welfare Party (YRP), could not attend due to memorial events for the earthquake that struck 10 provinces in eastern Turkiye on February 6, 2023. However, they sent telegrams expressing their continued support for the rightful struggle of their Uyghur brothers.

Throughout the meeting, Turkish MPs, NGO executives, and researchers emphasized that in order to make the East Turkistan national struggle a national issue for Turkiye, it is crucial to effectively communicate the Uyghur cause and current situation to Turkish government institutions, political parties, NGOs, media organizations, universities, and research centers. They also highlighted the importance of raising awareness about the Chinese threat in Turkiye and influencing government policies through the Grand National Assembly of Turkiye after securing the support of the Turkish nation.

At the end of the meeting, participants brainstormed potential activities to ensure Turkiye’s recognition of the Uyghur Genocide in the Grand National Assembly and to solidify the East Turkistan national struggle as a national issue for Turkiye.