CUS welcomes the establishment of Subcommittee on “Combating Islamophobia and Racism” at Turkish Parliament

Press Release

For Immediate Release

July 20, 2023

Contact@uyghurstudy.org

Uyghurstudy.org

On July 19, 2023, the Parliamentary Human Rights Invetigation Committee at the Turkish Parliament announced that it is establishing a subcommittee on “Combating Islamophobia and Racism” to investigate issues of human rights and Islamophobia around the world including China’s Islamophobic policies, violations of human rights, and genocide in East Turkistan. The subcommittee was established after Selcuk Turkoglu, an MP from Iyi Party submitted a motion to create a group to investigate China’s genocide and human rights violations againt the Uyghurs. As an organization dedicated to advocating for the rights of the Uyghur people, the Center for Uyghur Studies welcomes the establishment of the Subcommittee on “Combating Islamophobia and Racism” at the Turkish Parliament. We believe that this is an important progress by the Turkish parliament towards taking tangible steps to denounce the Uyghur Genocide.

On July 12, 2023, prior to this announcement, a Uyghur delegation consisted of Executive Director Abdulhakim Idris, Executive Director of the Campaign for Uyghurs Rushan Abbas, and representatives of other Uyghur NGOs visited the Turkish parliament and met with MPs from various political parties including Derya Yanık, Chairman of the Human Rights Investigation Committee from the ruling AK Party. The Uyghur delegation suggested that the Turkish parliament create a mechanism to investigate China’s genocide and the fate of millions of Uyghurs interned in concentration camps in East Turkistan.

Executive Director Abdulhakim Idris said, “When we met with the Turkish parliamentarians and Ms. Derya Yanik, we brought up the issues of the Uyghurs in Turkiye who have not been able to contact their families back home. Also, we asked that Turkiye impose sanctions on products made with Uyghur forced labor, as the United States and other Western countries did. We also touched upon the consequences of China’s Islamophobic and racist policies. Finally, we emphasized the need to create a mechanism to look at and investigate the Uyghur Genocide and China’s war on Islam at the parliament. The creation of the subcommittee on combating Islamophobia and racism means that the Turkish parliamentarians have listened to the voice of the oppressed people and are determined to address issues of human rights and Islamophobia affecting millions of Uyghur Muslims. This is also a role model for other Muslim-majority countries to follow in standing up for the rights of the Uyghur and other Turkic Muslims who are facing China’s genocide and war on Islam in East Turkistan.”

The Center for Uyghur Studies hopes the newly established subcommittee will listen to the voice of Uyghur victims and human rights defenders in investigating and documenting China’s genocide, crimes against humanity, and Islamophobic policies in East Turkistan. The CUS believes that collaborative efforts between governments, NGOs, and human rights defenders are crucial in exposing China’s crimes and defending the rights of the victims.