Uyghur community holds protests in Turkey against Chinese govt

Istanbul : Activists in Turkey came out in large numbers last week to support the Uyghur community in China’s Xinjiang province, who lost their lives in a residential building fire in Urumqi, local media reports said.
A protest was carried out by Uyghur activists in Istanbul at 2:00 am in the early hours of November 26 near the historic Hagia Sophia mosque where Uyghurs gathered braving the cold shivering winter, according to media reports. Nearly a hundred activists including Uyghur groups.
The speakers alleged that despite the raging fire, the Chinese authorities did not allow the building residents to come out in the name of stringent Covid-19 restrictions. They called upon the International community to take a stand against the Chinese government. The gathering also offered their prayers for the victims of the fire.
A large protest and press release was held near the Chinese Consulate in the Sariyer district, Istanbul which was attended by over 1000 people. The protest call was given by the International Union of East Turkestan NGOs led by Hidayetullah Oghuzhan, the Chairman of East Turkestan Maarif Society.
Also Read Israeli journalist lies about identity in front of Qatar official He said, “November 24 is a sad day for us. We shall never forget the Urumqi fire that claimed the lives of children and women. Some threw themselves out of the building. The doors and fire stairs were closed by the Chinese administration under the pretext of Covid. Even private roads for fire cars were closed. Despite the immediate notification by the residents of the building and did not allow their passage in time.” Oghuzhan continued saying, “Since August 2022, China has caused thousands of people to lose their lives due to hunger or disease by closing the people in their homes and disrupting food and health transportation with inhuman practices under the name of Zero-Covid in different cities of East Turkestan.”