The third Istanbul Forum Talk, titled “Uyghur Poetry: A Vital Testament to Resistance and Survival”, was delivered by SOAS University researcher, poet, and writer Aziz Isa Elkun. Elkun, who has been involved in academic and civil efforts to preserve Uyghur culture and raise the global voice of the Uyghur people, began his talk by emphasizing the role of poetry in Uyghur literature and culture. He pointed out that since 1949, the Uyghur homeland has been under Chinese oppression, marking the beginning of a history of suffering and violence for the Uyghur people. He discussed the impact of political and social resistance on daily life, reflecting on how the renaming of East Turkistan to Xinjiang in 1955 led him to reject the term “Xinjiang,” which he described as a tool of both geographical and mental occupation.Elkun elaborated on how Uyghur poetry has transformed into a form of resistance against the oppressive Chinese regime. He emphasized that Uyghuristan, a geographically challenging region, has had to face not only physical but also political difficulties. According to Elkun, the main themes in Uyghur poetry reflect the natural landscapes of Central Asia, such as vast pastures and high mountain ranges. Furthermore, the political turmoil, wars, and exiles experienced by the Uyghur people throughout history are expressed through themes of migration, exile, nature, and love in their poetry together.
Citing examples from the nationalist poet Abdülhaliq Uyghur, Elkun explained how poems of resistance and struggle are interwoven into the fabric of Uyghur literature. He interpreted the poet’s line “My brave flower, let’s make it bloom” as not only a symbol of love but also a slogan for Uyghur freedom. Elkun stressed the inhumanity of the Chinese government’s policies of mass arrests, cultural assimilation, and internment camps since 2016, noting that such measures have also hindered communication among Uyghurs both domestically and internationally. He also highlighted the significant role of female Uyghur poets in the resistance, mentioning the cases of Chimangul Awut, who was sent to an internment camp after writing a poem in 2018, and Gülnisa Imin Gülkhan, who was sentenced to 17 years in prison after spending a year in a Chinese camp. Elkun cited lines from Gülnisa Hanım’s poem, which read:
“Their troubles, their yearning
Their nightmares and sleepless nights, They want to talk about it with someone on the outside.” as a final call to those who would listen to the voices of the Uyghur people. Elkun continued by sharing his personal exile story, which began in 1999, and discussing his book of Uyghur Poems(2023). He reflected on how Uyghurs living abroad also face restrictions on their freedoms, with severed family communications and silenced voices. He revealed that approximately 500 Uyghur intellectuals are currently held in Chinese detention camps or serving long prison sentences, highlighting the aim of these policies to erase Uyghur cultural and ethnic identity. Despite these challenges, Elkun pointed out the success of Uyghurs in connecting with the world through social media and the efforts of the younger generation. He shared the example of his visit to Kazakhstan, home to over a million Uyghurs, where the Uyghur Poems Book garnered great interest. This led to a gathering of Uyghur writers, journalists, community leaders, and young poets to discuss their work. Elkun noted that his poetry is not only filled with sadness but also with love, hope, and optimism for the future of Uyghurs. He concluded by emphasizing that it is now more important than ever to raise the voices of the Uyghurs suffering in detention camps. Uyghur poetry, he said, continues to exist as a form of protest and resistance, advocating for freedom, justice, and humanity on behalf of all Uyghurs.
