Uyghur Turkologists met in Istanbul to address declining Uyghur studies, mother tongue education, teacher shortages, and cultural preservation, emphasizing research centers, youth training, and resistance to transnational repression.
A meeting of Uyghur Turkologists in Turkiye was held at Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University on January 24, 2026, organized by the Uyghur Academy Foundation. During the meeting, participants first raised several issues observed in Uyghur-related academic research in Turkiye, along with the noticeable decline in such research over the past decade. To address this problem, it was emphasized that Uyghur research centers should be established at relevant universities and that young Turkologists who have completed their doctoral studies in Turkiye should be employed. This approach aims to build a new generation of Uyghur researchers capable of exerting influence in the academic research landscape of Turkiye.
Subsequently, the situation of Uyghur mother tongue education in Turkiye was discussed. It was highlighted that the number of students attending mother tongue classes has recently been declining. Contributing factors include some parents’ insufficient awareness of the importance of mother tongue education, as well as hesitations among families to send their children to Uyghur schools due to China’s transnational repression policies targeting Uyghurs in the diaspora. In response, participants stressed the need to strengthen national awareness, educate parents on the significance of preserving their mother tongue, resist Chinese pressure without falling into its traps, organize regular joint activities among Uyghur families to create social environments where Uyghur children can interact, and improve teaching conditions to increase students’ interest in mother tongue classes.
The meeting also addressed the issue of training mother tongue teachers in Turkiye, highlighting a serious shortage in this field. To overcome this challenge, plans were made to train a group of young Uyghurs as mother tongue teachers under the guidance of experienced Uyghur Turkologists in Turkiye. At the same time, it was proposed to provide in-service training for existing teachers in Uyghur grammar, pedagogy, and educational psychology.
Another topic discussed was the Uyghurization of non-purely Uyghur food names. It was decided that a group of Uyghur linguists would collaboratively develop new, concise Uyghur names for dishes by drawing on Uyghur cookbooks published in the homeland and historical sources such as the Divanu Lugati’t-Türk. These newly created names would then be recommended for use among Uyghurs in the diaspora and in Uyghur restaurants.
Professor Ahmet Cevat Acar, Rector of Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University, also attended the meeting and held discussions with Uyghur Turkologists and mother tongue teachers. In his speech, he emphasized that he has always personally supported, and will continue to support, his brothers and sisters from East Turkestan on behalf of the university, and encouraged Uyghurs to remain hopeful and persistently protect their language and identity.
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