Panel on “The Barin Massacre and the East Turkistan Issue” held in Ankara
On the occasion of the 35th anniversary of the Barin Massacre, a panel titled “April 5, 1990 Barin Massacre and the East Turkistan Issue” was held in Ankara.
Hosted by the Avaz Center for Research and Strategy in collaboration with the Uyghur Academy Foundation and the World Uyghur Congress Foundation, the event brought together over 50 participants, including NGO leaders dedicated to the East Turkistan cause, former members of parliament, researchers, and academics.
In his opening remarks, Mr. Şerafettin Deniz, head of the Avaz Center, emphasized that while Turkey had once shown significant commitment to the East Turkistan cause, current policymakers tend to focus more on the Palestinian issue, leaving East Turkistan off the agenda. He criticized this shift as a misguided and unacceptable stance, stressing that the East Turkistan issue should be regarded as a national cause for Turkey.
The panel was moderated by former MP Fahrettin Yokuş, who shared his personal involvement in the East Turkistan cause over the past 40 years. As a young nationalist and former leader of KAMUSEN, he had organized numerous protests in front of the Chinese Embassy in Ankara. During his time in parliament, he frequently raised the issue through parliamentary questions and press statements, even confronting the Chinese ambassador about the internment camps in East Turkistan. He called on all those who identify as Turkish to take a serious interest in the East Turkistan issue.
Prof. Dr. Erkin Emet, a Uyghur academic from Ankara University and spokesperson for the World Uyghur Congress, then provided a brief historical overview of the East Turkistan national struggle. He highlighted that the region has resisted Chinese domination for over a century, and noted the short-lived independence of the East Turkistan Republics in 1933 and 1944. These republics, he explained, were later brought down by the cooperation between the Soviet Union and the China. Since the occupation in 1949, large-scale uprisings have occurred regularly, underscoring the people’s unwavering resistance. He concluded that, despite China’s efforts, the Uyghurs will never submit, and he expressed hope that regions like East Turkistan, Tibet, and Hong Kong will one day be free.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nimetcan Mehmet Orhun, a faculty member at Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University and director of the Uyghur Academy’s Higher Education Committee, gave a presentation on China’s assimilation and genocide policies in East Turkistan. He presented academic data and documents detailing systematic policies such as the banning of religious practices, elimination of Uyghur language education, forced sterilizations, mass surveillance, and the internment of millions in camps. He also warned about China’s collection of Uyghur DNA for possible biological weapon research. Orhun emphasized that while the U.S., EU, and Japan have recognized these acts as genocide, many Turkic and Muslim-majority countries remain silent or even supportive of China. He urged these countries to reconsider their stance and defend themselves against the growing Chinese threat.
The panel concluded with a Q&A session.
