The International Union of Turkestan Organizations (IUETO) organized a protest in Istanbul to mark the 28th anniversary of the Ghulja Massacre, highlighting the ongoing oppression of Uyghurs in East Turkistan. Around 1,200 Uyghur diaspora members gathered outside the Chinese Consulate, urging global action against China's human rights abuses.
The massacre occurred on February 4 and 5, 1997, in Gulja (Yining), where a peaceful protest was violently suppressed by Chinese forces, resulting in hundreds of deaths. The protest was initially sparked by the arrest of Uyghur women during Ramadan.
IUETO President Hidayet Oguzhan emphasized the continued suffering of Uyghurs under Chinese policies, including mass detentions, forced labor, and cultural erasure. The "Sibling Family Project" has led to the separation of Uyghur children from their families.
Oguzhan called for international recognition of the genocide in East Turkistan and urged the UN, Human Rights Council, and governments to take action. He also appealed to Muslim-majority countries and the Turkic States Organization to support Uyghur rights and independence.
IUETO stands for the International Union of Turkestan Organizations. It is a group that works to support people from Turkestan, a region in Central Asia, and raise awareness about their issues.
Istanbul is a large city in Turkey. It is known for its rich history and is a place where many important events and protests happen.
The Ghulja Massacre happened 28 years ago in a place called Ghulja, where many Uyghur people were killed. It is remembered as a sad event showing the struggles of the Uyghur people.
Uyghurs are a group of people who mostly live in a region called East Turkistan, which is part of China. They have their own culture and language.
East Turkistan is a region in China where many Uyghur people live. It is also known as Xinjiang.
Hidayet Oguzhan is a person who leads the IUETO and is working to help the Uyghur people by organizing protests and speaking out against their oppression.
Human rights abuses are actions that harm people and take away their basic rights, like freedom and safety. In this context, it refers to how the Uyghur people are being treated unfairly.
Genocide is when a large group of people is targeted and harmed because of who they are, often with the intent to destroy them. The protest is calling for recognition of the Uyghur situation as a genocide.
UN stands for the United Nations, an international organization that works to maintain peace and security around the world. The protest is asking the UN to help the Uyghur people.
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