Taha Kılınç has published East Turkistan Travelogue, documenting his extensive journey. The book, “filled with evidence that dismantles China’s propaganda,” provides rare firsthand insights.
Journalist and writer Taha Kılınç’s book, East Turkistan Travelogue (Kayıp Coğrafyanın İzinde), which records the challenges he faced, events he personally witnessed, and his experiences during an extensive journey in East Turkistan ( Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in China), has been published by Ketebe Publishing. The work sheds light on both the region’s current situation and its historical and cultural depth, standing out as one of the few studies based on firsthand observations.
Kılınç notes that the book was born out of a journey filled with painful memories. He explains that he wanted to compile what he experienced and witnessed in East Turkistan—a long-discussed yet often misunderstood issue—into a single, independent volume.
The author emphasizes three main goals behind his work: first, to clearly convey the tragedy and reality faced by Muslim Uyghurs; second, to preserve today’s testimonies as records for the future; and third, to make East Turkistan’s geographical, historical, and cultural aspects more comprehensible to readers.
In the introduction, Kılınç reflects on the lack of sufficient attention the East Turkistan issue receives in Turkey:
“The East Turkistan issue, due to the difficulty of obtaining accurate news from the ground and China’s multidimensional disinformation efforts, unfortunately does not receive the attention it deserves in our country. As the saying goes, ‘Out of sight, out of mind,’ East Turkistan remains a cause overshadowed by crises closer to home.”
Commenting on the book for Uygur Haber, researcher Dr. Abdullah Oğuz highlighted its significance:
“Since 2016, the Chinese Communist regime has been trying to cover up the genocide in East Turkistan through staged performances and false propaganda by so-called ‘journalists’ under its control. Journalist and writer Taha Kılınç, however, secretly entered nearly all regions of East Turkistan, personally witnessed the realities, and documented them through extensive photography and observation. This work is filled with tangible evidence that dismantles China’s propaganda wall. Its wide distribution and accessibility are of vital importance.”
East Turkistan Travelogue (Kayıp Coğrafyanın İzinde) not only offers contemporary testimonies but also reveals the region’s historical depth and cultural richness, presenting the issue through both a human and cultural lens.
The book was released at a time when several so-called journalists, invited by China to East Turkistan and guided by Chinese officials, have recently begun echoing the regime’s narratives and attempting to whitewash the genocide against Uyghurs. In this context, Kılınç’s work stands as a powerful and convincing response to such propaganda, grounded in genuine, firsthand observations from the field.
The author noted that efforts are underway to publish East Turkistan Travelogue (Kayıp Coğrafyanın İzinde) in English and other languages, aiming to bring the truth about East Turkistan to a broader international audience through authentic eyewitness accounts.
Source: Uygur Haber
Be First to Comment