Activities of East Turkistan immigrants in Türkiye (1950-1980)

East Turkestan constitutes a part of Turkestan, the homeland of Turkism. The region, which had been under Turkish rule since the earliest periods of history, has been subject to Chinese invasion for about 250 years. As a result of the struggles against the Chinese, there were migrations from East Turkestan from time to time. The main reasons for the migrations were to not live under the Chinese occupation and to provide support from the world for the independence of East Turkestan. In this direction, Türkiye is one of the countries where the migrations in the 20th century came to an end. Immigrants who arrived in Türkiye via Kashmir, India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan have experienced a toilsome migration journey. As a result of the leaders of East Turkistani were also settled in Türkiye, Türkiye has become the center of East Turkestan diaspora. The first goal of the public of East Turkestan was to ensure the recognition of their country. Thus, the world will be informed about what has been happening in their homeland and international pressure will be established on the Chinese government. In line with this goal, immigrants from East Turkistan have started diaspora activities. They have operated in the field of publication by publishing books, magazines, and brochures. They have carried out social activities by establishing associations and foundations. By participating in national and international meetings, they made an effort for the recognition of East Turkestan. While these activities were being carried out, differences of opinion and disagreements arose among the diaspora members. Leadership debates and methodological disagreements arose. These disagreements were also reflected in the media, and accusations of treason were made among the immigrants. The divergence seen in the diaspora has been in the benefit of the Chinese administrations as well as the division of power. In this study, migrations from East Turkestan to Türkiye and diaspora activities between the years 1950 and 1980 were investigated. Diaspora activities weakened towards 1980 due to various reasons. The activities that showed signs of revival in the 1980s only intensified in the 1990s. However, in these years, the diaspora center gradually shifted to Western countries. Therefore, the scope of the study was restricted to 1980. It can be said that the diaspora activities of East Turkistanis are successful in terms of recognition of their country. However, it is not possible to talk about any success in the realization of independence, which is the main goal.