Regarding Mr. Hakan Fidan's Visit to China and East Turkistan
As the International Union of East Turkistan Organizations, we are following with great interest and expectation the official visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye, Mr. Hakan Fidan, to China and East Turkistan on 3-5 June 2024.
Since the protection of freedom and the fundamental rights of Uyghurs and the visit to Kashgar and Urumqi are among the agenda stated by the Ministry, we believe that this visit may yield positive results in terms of East Turkistan and the human rights conditions of Uyghur people.
First of all, we see this visit as an opportunity to raise international awareness regarding the human rights conditions of the Uyghur people in East Turkistan and to establish an effective dialogue. We hope that the visit will lead to concrete steps towards ending human rights violations in the region.
In addition, China is using its authoritarian power in the region to deceive international observation missions by shutting down cities or filling the areas where the observers will visit with appointed teams of actors in an effort to create a false image of prosperity that does not reflect the real situation in East Turkistan. At the same time, it can be seen that China also uses statements regarding these staged visits of the deceived visitors for propaganda.
In this regard, the fact that the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye, Mr. Hakan Fidan, and his delegation are careful against such propaganda and have a clear and transparent attitude towards the real conditions of the region is important in achieving the purpose of this visit. We believe that their honest approach will prevent China from using this visit as propaganda.
In this context, we expect the Turkish Foreign Minister to raise the following issues in his meetings with Chinese officials:
1. Stopping the Uyghur Genocide and Human Rights Violations: Taking the necessary steps to end the human rights violations suffered by the Uyghur people and to ensure that they live a life in accordance with international human rights norms.
2. Restoring Family Unity: Release Uyghurs held in concentration camps and reunite separated families.
3. Guarantee Religious, Social, and Cultural Freedom: Respect the religious and cultural rights of the Uyghur people and provide an environment in which they can freely engage in religious and cultural practices.
4. Access of International Observers: Allow independent international observers to enter East Turkistan and provide impartial observation of the situation in the region.
5. Protection of Economic and Social Rights: Protect the economic and social rights of the Uyghur people and ensure their access to basic services such as education and healthcare.
6. Opening a consulate of the Republic of Türkiye in East Turkistan: Opening channels for the people of East Turkistan to engage with Türkiye and the Turkish people in terms of education, social life, economy, and other aspects.
As the International Union of East Turkistan NGOs, we hope that this visit will contribute to a better understanding and solution of the problems faced by the Uyghur people by the international community. In this process, we firmly believe that the Republic of Türkiye will continue to support the people of East Turkistan.
The International Union of East Turkistan Organizations (IUETO)
02.06.2024
