Bilal Azizi | Istanbul | December 17, 2025
This Wednesday, the halls of Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University hosted a high-level international scientific symposium dedicated to commemorating the 60th anniversary of the death of the historic leader and freedom fighter, Muhammad Amin Bughra. The academic gathering brought together a host of scholars and researchers who presented in-depth research papers reviewing the journey of this extraordinary Turkestani leader and his pioneering role in resisting the Chinese occupation of East Turkestan. They highlighted his legacy, which remains a beacon for rising generations in patriotism and upholding legitimate rights.
The symposium began with the first session, chaired by Dr. Harun Tuncer, focusing on the years of field struggle in the heart of East Turkestan. Mr. Hamid Gokturk presented details of the Khotan Revolution led by Bughra, while Dr. Alwayşi analyzed pivotal shifts in the national liberation movement. In a striking historical revelation, Dr. Haci Kutluk presented significant military information from Japanese archives regarding the leader’s movements. Dr. Esad Sulaiman discussed Bughra’s final five years in his homeland, and researcher Sabina Masharova concluded the session with an analysis of Soviet policy toward the East Turkestan cause and its relationship with the late leader.
The second session, moderated by Dr. Abdulrahim Devlet, moved to discuss Bughra's struggle in exile. Researcher Tekin Tunçar addressed the philosophy of forced migration for the cause, while Prof. Dr. Erkin Ahmet and researcher Muhammad Amin Uyghur reviewed the dimensions of official and public diplomacy led by Bughra globally. The symposium did not overlook the pivotal role of women, as writer Abdushukur Kumtur discussed the efforts of Mrs. Amine Bughra, the leader’s companion. Dr. Nabijan Tursun concluded the session by highlighting the immense historical value of the book "History of East Turkestan," authored by Bughra as a foundational document of identity.
On the intellectual side, the third session, chaired by researcher Ali Demirel, discussed the ideological and modern foundations of Bughra’s thought. Mrs. Muyesser Amin Haci and researcher Ibrahim Kashgari provided readings into the intellectual bases of the national movement, while researchers Elif Altun and Hammiye Ozer analyzed concepts of homeland, independence, and national sentiment in his writings and in the "Hurriyet" (Freedom) newspaper he founded in 1949. This was followed by an analysis from researcher Yusuf Ulusoy regarding Bughra's famous book, "Homeland Sorrows." The closing session, moderated by researcher Abdullah Trabzon, focused on the enduring spiritual legacy. Dr. Tasneem Harb highlighted the role of Bughra’s works in introducing the Uyghur cause to the Arab world, while Prof. Ahmed El-Shazly and Dr. Ahmed Jamal discussed the civilizational role of Turks and the efforts of scholars in serving this cause.
Beyond academic circles, the biography of leader Muhammad Amin Bughra remains etched in the memory of generations. Entire generations grew up on stories of his heroism, including the author of these lines. At the age of ten, I had the honor of being a student of the martyr Sheikh Abdulahat Makhdum, the son of the leader’s sister, Mrs. Maryamkhan, who used to tell us stories of her brother’s struggle against the Chinese occupation. Bughra was a school in the spirit of resistance; he began his journey with knowledge and education, then led an armed struggle in which he gave two of his brothers as martyrs. He did not surrender despite the bitterness of exile and the prisons he faced in Afghanistan and India after the fall of the Islamic Republic of East Turkestan. Instead, he returned to struggle politically and as a minister in his homeland, defending his people's rights through parliament and with the pen in his articles and his book "The Struggle of the Pen."
History will remember Bughra as a bold voice for East Turkestan, much like the steadfastness we see today among Palestinian fighters against occupation. He struggled tirelessly in exile, was a fundamental pillar in the founding of the Muslim World League, and exerted immense efforts in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey to internationalize his country's cause. Muhammad Amin Bughra passed away in Ankara on June 14, 1965, leaving behind the massive "History of East Turkestan" as an eternal witness to his people's rights. His memory remains a light for every seeker of freedom. May Allah have mercy on him, forgive him, and gather him with the martyrs and the righteous.
