Daily Sabah logo

Politics
Diplomacy Legislation War On Terror EU Affairs Elections News Analysis
TÜRKİYE
Istanbul Education Investigations Minorities Expat Corner Diaspora
World
Mid-East Europe Americas Asia Pacific Africa Syrian Crisis Islamophobia
Business
Automotive Economy Energy Finance Tourism Tech Defense Transportation News Analysis
Lifestyle
Health Environment Travel Food Fashion Science Religion History Feature Expat Corner
Arts
Cinema Music Events Portrait Reviews Performing Arts
Sports
Football Basketball Motorsports Tennis
Opinion
Columns Op-Ed Reader's Corner Editorial
PHOTO GALLERY
JOBS ABOUT US RSS PRIVACY CONTACT US
© Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2025

Daily Sabah - Latest & Breaking News from Turkey | Istanbul

  • Politics
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • Elections
    • News Analysis
  • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Expat Corner
    • Diaspora
  • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • Islamophobia
  • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
  • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
  • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Reviews
    • Performing Arts
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
  • Gallery
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
  • TV
  • Sports
  • Football
  • Basketball
  • Motorsports
  • Tennis

Uyghurs in Turkey call for Beijing Olympics boycott as Games begin

by REUTERS

ISTANBUL Feb 04, 2022 - 6:06 pm GMT+3
People from China's Uyghur Muslim ethnic group shout slogans during a rally against the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games over China's treatment of the minority, Istanbul, Turkey, Feb. 4, 2022. (Reuters Photo)
People from China's Uyghur Muslim ethnic group shout slogans during a rally against the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games over China's treatment of the minority, Istanbul, Turkey, Feb. 4, 2022. (Reuters Photo)
by REUTERS Feb 04, 2022 6:06 pm

As the 2022 Winter Olympics opened in Beijing on Friday, hundreds of protesters from China's Muslim Uyghur community rallied in Istanbul to call for a boycott of the Games over the country's treatment of the ethnic minority.

The protesters also urged Olympics participants to speak out against China's human rights violations.

The Games opened earlier in the day in the shadow of a diplomatic boycott over China's human rights record and devoid of most spectators due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"China stop the genocide," "Muslims don't sleep, stand up for your brothers," chanted the protesters, who briefly blocked a road and scuffled with lines of Turkish riot police as they tried to march up a hill toward the Chinese consulate.

"These Olympics are being held not on snow, but on blood," said one protester, 26-year-old student Abdullah Mudinoğlu.

Many protesters, gathered on Istanbul's waterfront, waved the blue-and-white flags of the independence movement of East Turkestan, a group Beijing says threatens the stability of its far western region of Xinjiang.

Some 50,000 Uyghurs are estimated to live in Turkey, the largest Uyghur diaspora outside Central Asia. Turks have close ethnic, religious and linguistic ties to the Uyghurs.

'Bloody games'

"We call on all humanity to boycott and not watch the Winter Olympics, and for sportspeople and participants not to take part in these bloody games," Hidayet Oğuzhan, head of the East Turkestan Education and Solidarity Association, told the crowd.

U.N. experts and rights groups estimate more than a million people, mainly from the Uyghur and other Muslim minorities, have been detained in forced labor camps in Xinjiang since 2016.

China initially denied such camps existed, but has since said they are vocational centers and are designed to combat extremism. It denies all accusations of abuse.

"We are completely against the Olympics being held there with such genocide being perpetrated against the Uyghurs," said 28-year-old Sufinur Omercan at Friday's protest.

"My father ... was a historian and was thrown in prison because of the columns and books which he wrote. I can't get any news on him since 2017."

Last month, 19 Uyghurs filed a criminal complaint with a Turkish prosecutor against Chinese officials, accusing them of committing genocide, torture, rape and crimes against humanity.

The United States, Britain, Canada, Australia, Japan and Denmark have said they will not send official diplomatic delegations to the Games to protest China's rights record.

  • shortlink copied
  • KEYWORDS
    beijing 2022 winter olympics winter games beijing 2022
    The Daily Sabah Newsletter
    Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey, it’s region and the world.
    You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
    No Image
    Muslims mark 1st Ramadan Friday prayers around the globe
    PHOTOGALLERY
    • POLITICS
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • News Analysis
    • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Diaspora
    • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • İslamophobia
    • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
    • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Performing Arts
    • Reviews
    • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
    • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
    • Photo gallery
    • DS TV
    • Jobs
    • privacy
    • about us
    • contact us
    • RSS
    © Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2021