A coalition of Uyghur diaspora organizations staged a demonstration in Istanbul following a recently disclosed meeting between Chinese Consul General Wei Xiaodong and Küçükçekmece Mayor Kemal Çebi.

The protest, organized by the East Turkestan NGOs Union, was sparked by a May 22 meeting between the local municipality and Chinese diplomatic officials. According to the organizing groups, the meeting was not publicly announced or transparently shared by the municipality, only coming to light after it was published by the Chinese consulate. Representatives stated that the lack of disclosure triggered deep concern and widespread anger within the Uyghur community.

During the demonstration, Musacan Er, President of the East Turkestan Education and Solidarity Association, delivered a strongly worded statement accusing Beijing of attempting to extend its surveillance and intelligence networks beyond its borders.

Er highlighted that the Chinese consulate’s official communications described Uyghurs as “Chinese ethnic minorities” and claimed that the Küçükçekmece district hosts a large number of Chinese nationals.

“We reject this definition completely. We are not an ethnic minority. We are a Turkic nation with a historical identity and an independence legacy,” Er declared. “There are 30 million Turkic people in East Turkestan, but we do not know how many have been subjected to systematic oppression, detention and elimination under the Chinese regime.”

The diaspora leadership questioned the underlying intentions of Beijing’s sudden engagement with municipal administrations in Türkiye, noting that many Uyghurs originally fled China to escape severe persecution.

“What has changed now? A regime that has turned East Turkestan into a massive open-air prison through cameras, artificial intelligence and digital surveillance systems is now speaking about coordination in Küçükçekmece. This is a contradiction that cannot be ignored,” Er said.

Protest leaders argued that China's requests for "communication and coordination" with local Turkish authorities pose a direct security threat to the resident diaspora. Er warned that such diplomatic initiatives are a facade for intelligence gathering.

“We know exactly what this means. This so-called information sharing means the systematic profiling of every Uyghur living in Küçükçekmece, one by one,” he said. “It means transferring the personal data of innocent people, activists and community members into the hands of Chinese intelligence networks.”

Protesters described the diplomatic outreach as an effort by Beijing to export its domestic surveillance architecture into Turkish neighborhoods through municipal channels.

The East Turkestan NGOs Union explicitly called on the Küçükçekmece Municipality to immediately reject any framework of cooperation with Chinese officials, reminding local authorities of their broader obligations to residents.

“We are warning very clearly,” Er concluded. “Any cooperation that endangers Uyghurs is unacceptable. Local governments are responsible not only for infrastructure, but also for the security and dignity of the people living in their districts.”

The demonstrating groups stated they will remain vigilant and continue to actively monitor local government developments for any perceived threats to the Uyghur community in Türkiye. (ILKHA)