China's other understanding: East Turkestan example

This study was carried out with Uyghur Turks who had to migrate to Ankara and Istanbul cities of Turkey after living in the East Turkestan region of China (Xinjiang). With the interviews, it was aimed to determine the problems that the Uyghur Turks face in the social sphere. In this context, national and international literature on East Turkestan has been examined in the study. Qualitative research method was used in order to understand the life experiences of Uyghur Turks and to identify the problems experienced in the region. In this direction, documents related to the subject were examined, and in-depth interviews were conducted with Uyghur Turks who fled their countries and settled in Istanbul and Ankara. As a result of the interviews made with semi-structured interview forms, it was determined that the Uyghur Turks living in China faced problems in various social areas, especially in demography, education and religion. In addition, it has been seen that Uyghur Turks are exposed to stigma and pejorative discourses such as "filthy, thief, separatist, separatist and terrorist" in their countries and are described as the other in the society by the Han Chinese. In this direction, it has been determined that long-term adaptation policies are needed to solve the problems encountered.