A Poetry Competition for East Turkistan Held in Istanbul

A poetry writing and recitation competition was held in Istanbul, focusing on the oppression and humanitarian tragedies in East Turkistan.

Jointly organized by the East Turkistan Foundation and the Dokuz Tuğ Association, a poetry writing and recitation competition titled “For East Turkistan” took place on February 9, 2025, at the East Turkistan Foundation’s headquarters. The main theme of the poetry competition was the persecution and humanitarian crisis in East Turkistan.

The competition received over 100 applications from various provinces of Turkey. Forty-five Turkish poets, who passed the preliminary selection, participated with their own poems. As the competition began, the poets took the stage one by one to recite their works. The audience was deeply moved by the poems; some were unable to hold back their tears, and applause frequently echoed throughout the hall.

The jury panel included prominent figures such as Prof. Dr. Abdülhamit Avşar, a faculty member at Istanbul Ticaret University, Dr. Muhitdincan Uygur, former president of the East Turkistan Foundation, and Tuncay Gülçin, president of the Dokuz Tuğ Assembly Association. After a two-hour poetry competition, the jury members evaluated the performances and announced the results, followed by an award ceremony.

Elif Aksöz, a fourth-year student at Düzce University’s Faculty of Turkish Language and Literature, won first place, while Nagihan Tunç, a teacher at Başakşehir Emin Saraç High School in Istanbul, took second place. Muhammed Salih Bulut, a young Turkish poet, secured third place.

Elif Aksöz, after winning first prize, said:

“My poem describes the oppression in East Turkistan. I tried to express how East Turkistan feels like a prison and that we must save the oppressed people, especially Muslims, suffering in that prison. Before writing this poem, I researched East Turkistan, learned about the oppression there, and understood how cruel China is. Then, I wrote this poem to convey the urgency of saving the oppressed. Being awarded first place made me very happy and excited.“

Speaking at the award ceremony, Prof. Dr. Abdülhamit Avşar stated that a total of 45 poets were able to participate in the competition, that all the poems were carefully written and recited with great dedication, but due to the competition’s rules, awards were given to only three poets.

Avşar shared his thoughts on the event, stating:

“It was a truly meaningful and exciting event. Young poets from all over Turkey performed their finalist poems themselves. The weather was cold, but their enthusiasm warmed our hearts. This scene was also inspiring and hopeful for the cause of East Turkistan. The fact that young poets embrace this issue in their verses once again proves that the torch of independence will never be extinguished.”