16th Anniversary of Urumqi Massacre Commemorated Worldwide

The 16th anniversary of the Urumqi massacre that occurred on July 5th, recorded in the pages of history due to brutal suppression by China, was commemorated through multiple methods and approaches in various parts of the world, honoring the martyrs who fell on that day.

A demonstration and press conference were held in front of the Chinese Consulate General in Istanbul on July 5th, organised by the International Union of East Turkistan Organizations. During this demonstration, slogans were raised condemning the genocide crimes and occupation committed by China.

At the beginning of the event, Abdurashid Amin Haji, Secretary-General of the International Union of East Turkistan Organizations, read a statement indicating that the spark that ignited the Urumqi massacre was the bloody Shaoguan incident on June 26th. The bloody atrocities committed by China during the Urumqi massacre were recalled. The statement also emphasized that China, after this massacre, intensified its terrorist policy and began implementing systematic genocide in East Turkistan, a crime recognized by several countries and international organizations. The statement affirmed that confronting this crime is an urgent responsibility that falls on the entire international community.

Following this, Dr. Alimjan Bogda, President of the Union of East Turkistan Scholars, delivered a speech stating that religious suppression in East Turkistan has reached an unimaginable level and warned that East Turkistan might become a "second Andalusia" if the situation continues this way. He emphasized that the international community, especially the Islamic world and the Turkic world, cannot stand by as spectators.

For his part, Abdurashid Abdulhamid, President of the World Uyghur Congress Foundation, delivered a speech confirming that China's crimes in East Turkistan have been recognized by many parliaments and human rights organizations as "genocide" and "crimes against humanity." He pointed out that China is trying to deceive the world through false propaganda showing that everything is normal in East Turkistan, and called for not being deceived by these lies.

Then Saif al-Din Guler, Deputy President of the Istanbul branch of the Free Call Party, delivered a speech emphasizing their permanent stand alongside the people of East Turkistan.

The demonstration concluded with a collective prayer led by Sheikh Muhammad Omar Qarihajim, where prayers were offered for the destruction of the Chinese regime, the independence of East Turkistan, and mercy for the martyrs.

Additionally, the children of East Turkistan in various parts of the world commemorated the 16th anniversary of the Urumqi massacre through demonstrations, seminars, Quran recitations, and social media posts.