WUC Marks 30th Anniversary of Isa Yusuf Alptekin’s Passing in Munich as Debate Over His Legacy Continues

By Ozgur Uyghur | Dec. 24, 2025

The World Uyghur Congress (WUC) marked the 30th anniversary of the passing of Isa Yusuf Alptekin on December 19 with a series of commemorative events in Munich, Germany. The program began with an evening exhibition, followed by a high-level conference the next day focusing on the legacy of East Turkistan’s political leaders and the historical struggle for Uyghur rights.

The conference, titled “Isa Yusuf Alptekin on the 30th Anniversary of His Death: Commemoration of East Turkistan State Leaders,” was opened by WUC President Turgunjan Alawdun and moderated by WUC Vice President Abdulreshit Abdulhamit. The event brought together Uyghur community leaders, members of the Uyghur diaspora, Turkish parliamentarians, and international political figures who have expressed support for Uyghur issues.

The opening panel featured Erkin Alptekin, son of Isa Yusuf Alptekin and founding president of the World Uyghur Congress, alongside prominent Uyghur figures including Dolkun Isa, Abdulhakim Idris, Erkin Emet, Omer Kul, and Ali Aluoglu. Discussions focused on Alptekin’s political life, the historical leadership of East Turkistan, and the continued challenges facing Uyghurs today. Subsequent sessions examined the legacy of the East Turkistan Republic and its significance in contemporary debates on freedom, rights, and self-determination.

The commemorative events also included participation from political figures from Turkey. Attendees included DEVA Party Ankara MP İdris Şahin, Yeni Yol Party Deputy Group Chair Selçuk Özdağ, and Yeniden Refah Party Istanbul MP Doğan Bekin, as well as former Gümüşhane MP Feramuz Üstün. Speakers emphasized solidarity with Uyghurs and framed the issue as both a political and humanitarian concern. Several participants shared messages on social media highlighting the importance of remembering historical leaders and sustaining international attention on Uyghur rights.

While Isa Yusuf Alptekin is widely remembered by many Uyghur organizations as a prominent figure in the East Turkistan movement, it is also important to note that views within the Uyghur community are not uniform. Some Uyghur activists and organizations do not regard Alptekin as a definitive or unifying voice for Uyghur independence, citing his cooperation with the Kuomintang government and his political positions opposing the early East Turkistan Republic. 

The East Turkistan Government in Exile (ETGE) has issued a strong condemnation against what it described as deliberate attempts to equate alleged collaborators of the Chinese occupation regime with leaders who genuinely struggled for East Turkistan’s independence and sovereignty.

These differing historical interpretations continue to shape contemporary discussions within the Uyghur movement.