Anwar Yusuf Turani

Anwar Yusuf Turani, the Founder and Prime Minister Elect of the East Turkistan Government in Exile Gives His Speech at Annandale Regional Library in Virginia on September 13, 2004

Turani established East Turkistan National Freedom Center [8] a professional political organization in Washington, DC in 1996 to advocate independence for his homeland, East Turkistan and served as the President of the organization until 2004.[9] Turani organized demonstrations, conferences and cultural events, concerning the situation of East Turkistan. He also met with many international dignitaries, including U.S. President Bill Clinton, Tibetan Leader Dalai Lama and Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian, in an attempt to gain their support in ending the occupation of his nation.[10] [11]

In April 1996, Turani met with Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama,[12] forging an alliance between East Turkistan and Tibet against the Chinese government. Later that month, Turani and representatives of occupied Tibet and Inner Mongolia organized an Independence Walk from the Chinese embassy in Washington, D.C. to the United Nations in New York City. At the end of the two-week walk, Turani spoke in front of the United Nations headquarters, addressing the Chinese human rights violations in East Turkistan since 1949.[13]

In June 1997, along with the support of the Tibetan Independence Movement, Turani cut one of the five stars from the national flag of China in front of the United Nations. Turani removed the star as a symbolic gesture of his desire for separation of Xinjiang from China.[14]

In February 1998, Turani visited Taiwan at the invitation of the World Federation of Taiwanese Associations, along with Erkin Alptekin; Professor Thubten Jigme Norbu, elder brother of the Dalai Lama; Tashi Jamyangling, former Home Secretary of the Tibetan Government in exile; and Johnar Bache, Vice Chairman of the Southern Mongolian People's Party. They met Taiwan independence activists and the pro Taiwan independence Democratic Progressive Party members Liu Sung-pan, the President of Taiwan's Legislative Yuan; Chen Shui-bian, former president of Taiwan; and Frank Hsieh, the Mayor of Kaohsiung.[15]

On June 4, 1999, Turani met with US President Bill Clinton[16] in order to persuade him to back the East Turkistan independence movement.[17] Turani told Clinton that his nation is in favor of waging a war of independence against China.[18][19] Turani claimed to had been funded by wealthy Uyghurs in Saudi Arabia.[20]

On July 20, 2001, Turani received a letter from the United States Department of State on behalf of President George W. Bush in response to Turani's initial letter concerning the Chinese occupation of East Turkistan. In this letter, the U.S. government expressed its willingness to protect the "fundamental human rights -- the rights to freedom of association, assembly, religion, belief, conscience, and expression -- of Uyghurs and others living in China."[21]

On September 14, 2004, Anwar Yusuf Turani proclaimed the creation of the East Turkistan Government in Exile in Washington, D.C.[22] and was elected Prime Minister.[23][24] China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Kong Quan publicly registered his displeasure, referencing such groups' terrorism in the Xinjiang region.[25][26] In November, the United States Government declared that it "does not recognize any East Turkestan government-in-exile, nor do we provide support for any such entity".[27]

According to East-Turkistan.net, the website widely recognized as the official website of the East Turkistan Government in Exile, Anwar Turani was impeached by the East Turkistan Government in Exile's Parliament for "violating the ETGE's Constitutional Amendment No.4" in 2006.[28] Anwar Turani himself claims that he faced an "attempted coup" on July 28, 2005 by officials of the East Turkistan Government in Exile who sought to "overthrow" him.[29] Turani claims to have "expelled" those against him and continued to run his own government since then. Despite the ETGE's constitution capping the length of office of the Prime Minister and President for any individual at two 4-year terms, Turani has continued to claim himself as "Prime Minister" of the East Turkistan Government in Exile from 2004 until 2019. Since 2019 he has subsequently claimed to be 2nd "president" of the East Turkistan Government in Exile. Other than a few youtube videos uploaded by Turani himself and a few fringe Turkish articles, no mainstream or credible sources has mentioned him as being "prime minister" since 2006 nor has any sources mentioned him being president since 2019.