Journalist and author Taha Kılınç, who documented his trip to East Turkestan-where religious and cultural identity is being systematically eroded under intense pressure from China and the region remains largely isolated from the world shared the experiences of the Uyghur people during his talk at IZU.
Kılınç was the guest of the program "Our Route: East Turkestan." During the talk, which was also attended by IZU Rector Prof. Dr. Ahmet Cevat Acar, he shared his observations from his visit to the region, based on his book "In Pursuit of a Lost Geography: A Travelouge of East Turkestan."
ACAR: "East Turkestan Is a Bleeding Wound of the Islamic World"
In his opening speech, IZU Rector Prof. Dr. Ahmet Cevat Acar stated that East Turkestan is one of the bleeeding wounds of the Islamic geography. Acar said: "The issue of East Turkestan is a topic that the world does not pay enough attention to. twenty million of our fellow believers and kinsmen are under servere oppression. It is crucial to employ every possible means to make their voices heard and to ease their suffering."
KILINÇ: “We Were Asked the Same Questions Israel Asks at the Border”
Speaking at the talk moderated by SKS Department Head Hülya Şekerci, Taha Kılınç explained that although he has been studying the Islamic world for years, he was unable to travel to East Turkestan due to China’s visa and entry restrictions. When he learned last year that grey and green passport holders no longer required visas, he began preparing for the trip.
Kılınç shared his experiences from his eight-day journey across 15 cities:
“We were stopped at every step. The most common questions we faced were: ‘Who are you?’, ‘How do you know about these places?’, ‘Do you know anyone here?’ These were almost identical to the questions Israel asks people traveling to Palestine.”
Kılınç stressed that security measures in the region have reached extraordinary levels:
“On poles placed every 10–15 meters, there are five or six cameras that see in all directions and record sound. Chinese officials identify families and stay in their homes for 10–15 days for inspection. Those deemed necessary are taken to camps and ‘trained.’”
“Mosques Are Closed, Hijab Is Banned!”
Pointing to the silence in the streets, the anxiety of the people, and the significant obstacles to foreigners entering the region, Kılınç stated that East Turkestan has been isolated from the world for 15 years.
He noted that he did not see a single woman wearing hijab during his visit and emphasized China’s social engineering project designed to detach Uyghurs from their religion and culture. He listed several restrictions:
“It is forbidden to purchase tents, binoculars, telescopes, or ropes above a certain length. A Uyghur cannot stay away from home for more than three days. Mosques are closed, the call to prayer is not allowed. Those under 18 cannot enter mosques, but in practice, we did not see anyone under 60 being allowed inside. The last Eid prayer in Kashgar was performed in 2016.”
In the program, which drew great interest from students, Kılınç stated that China uses its economic power to block potential solutions and emphasized that civil society organizations must pressure governments into action.
Following the talk, Kılınç signed his books at TDV Book Café.