Young Girl called out to the Turkish world

Families of Uyghur Turks in concentration camps, which are part of China's systematic oppression and assimilation policies, continue their search for news from East Turkistan. This time, Uyghur Turk young Nefisa Oghuz called out to the Turkish world for her uncle, Alim Abdulkerim, who has not been heard from for 6 years.

The Chinese government continues its policy of genocide and assimilation in East Turkistan uninterruptedly. Families of Uyghur Turks held in concentration camps and Chinese prisons, which are part of China's systematic oppression and assimilation policies, continue their struggle to get news from East Turkistan. One of the names struggling for her family is Nefisa Oghuz, a young Uyghur Turk activist and student at the Department of Journalism at Istanbul University. It was learned several years later that Oghuz's uncle, Alim Abdukerim, was detained in 2017 from his home in Urumqi, East Turkistan, and held in a prison in the city of Korla.

Nefise Oğuz, one of the East Turkistan Uyghur Turks whose concerns are increasing day by day because she could not hear from her relatives as a result of China's intense pressure and criminal practices full of serious human rights violations, is trying to make her family's voice heard for her uncle Alim Abdulkerim, who has not been heard from for 6 years.

Nefisa Oghuz, a Uyghur Turk living in Turkey, had previously published a video in four languages ​​to announce the release of her uncle, who was held in Chinese concentration camps, and the Uyghur Genocide to the world. Uyghur Turk Nefisa Oghuz made her voice heard to the Chinese authorities with the videos and calls she published on social media. However, she did not receive any positive responses.

"NEVER SEEN THE 6-YEARS-Old Child"

Nefisa Oghuz made the following statements in her social media post:

 "My uncle Alim Abdulkerim has been detained in East Turkistan ( Xinjiang according to China) for the last six years, simply because he is a Uyghur Turk. As his family, we have had no contact with him, and we are deeply concerned about his health. He has a son named Abdulkerim, who is now six years old, but has never met him. It breaks our hearts to see my cousin growing up without a father, and we are concerned about the emotional impact on both of them. We believe that my uncle was innocent and did not commit any crime. We call on the Chinese government to release him immediately and allow him to be reunited with his family. No one should be separated from loved ones just because of their ethnicity."

Nefisa Oghuz in an interview conducted by the Crimean News Agency (QHA). Here is the full interview:

Who is Alim Abdulkerim?

My uncle, Alim Abdulkerim, is a Uyghur young man (before he was arrested) who was involved in computer work in our family business, studied Computer Engineering, is married and has a child.

Since when has your uncle been heard from?

My uncle has not been heard from since 28 August 2017, when he was first arrested.

When was the last time you contacted the Chinese authorities?

We communicated a week ago. They contacted me when I posted the first video on social media to reach my uncle. It was about 4 months ago. They said they would look into it. Authorities stated that they went to the region and conducted research there. The Chinese official, who claimed that he went to East Turkistan a week ago and did research in the region, said that he had learned that my uncle was sentenced to 10 years in prison. When we asked the reason, we got a response like 'it means he went against the laws of China'. Then the phone was turned off in our face.

How did you get the information that Alim Abdulkerim was in Korla Prison?

We got this information through our acquaintances in the area.

What is the reason for your uncle's arrest, according to China? Have you been given a reason for this issue?

No clear reason was given to us, but according to China, Uyghur Turks born in the 1980s are considered to be dangerous to the state, a security threat," and my uncle's peers are convicted and imprisoned for this reason.

When did Alim Abdulkerim's family come to Turkey?

We (my mother, father, and brother) came to Turkey in 2015. It was my uncle's wedding in 2016, and we went to East Turkistan for him. In 2017, when his wife was pregnant, we were in contact, and one day we learned that he had been taken to prison. After that, for two years, our family there could not hear anything. Later, we heard that they could talk on the phone. His wife witnessed my uncle's arrest. My uncle's baby was still in the womb, he could not see that his child was born.

A CALL FROM THE YOUTH TO THE TURKISH WORLD

What's your call from here?

I want to say this: My uncle is a Uyghur youth who is innocent, just trying to support his family, and chase his dreams and education. We believe and are confident that there is no crime that deserves to be sentenced to this punishment. Even when I was in East Turkistan with my uncle, we were going to a course and learning Turkish. He had many dreams. He certainly didn't deserve to have his life ruined. I demand my uncle's release.

At the same time, I ask the Turkish world and our Crimean brothers, who have faced a similar fate with us, to help us make our voices heard. Justice must be served. I want this endless persecution of the Uyghurs to end. It is enough!

I want my uncle to be able to reunite with his innocent child, whom he has not seen for 6 years, even when he was born, and to be able to continue his life happily with his family.

It was also a very difficult situation for my grandmother, it is difficult to imagine how much she suffered. One of her two sons (my father) is in Turkey, and the other (my uncle) is in a Chinese prison, and she can't get any news about their lives in fear.

My request from people is that by empathizing with the Uyghur Turks, they try to understand us and support our efforts to make our voices heard.

At the same time, I ask the Turkish world and our Crimean brothers, who suffered a similar fate with us, to help us make our voices heard. Justice must be served. I want this endless oppression of the Uyghurs to end. That's enough now!

I want my uncle to be able to be reunited with his innocent child, whom he has not met in 6 years, whom he could not even see when he was born, and to be able to continue his life happily with his family.
It was also a very difficult situation for my grandmother, and it is difficult to even guess how much she suffered. One of her two children (my father) is in Turkey, and the other (my uncle) is in a Chinese prison. They cannot get any news about their lives in fear.

I ask people to sympathize with Uyghur Turks, try to understand us, and support our efforts to make our voice heard.