Activists are hailing the bravery of an Olympian who might have worn Uyghur independence imagery throughout a ski leap on the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing on Saturday.

In the course of the ski leap, Turkish athlete Fatih Arda Ipcioglu used a pair of sky blue skis with a crescent moon and star image on them. Some on-line famous that this design mirrors the flag of the East Turkestan independence motion, which is unofficially utilized by activists to characterize China's Xinjiang province. In that area, the Chinese language authorities is accused of finishing up human rights abuses in opposition to the Uyghur Muslim inhabitants. China has, up to now, instantly accused the motion of threatening the steadiness of Xinjiang.

east turkestan flag olympics
A Turkish Olympian is being hailed for allegedly donning the flag of a Uyghur independence motion throughout a ski leap. Above, protestors will be seen donning the identical flag design.Ozan Kose/AFP through Getty Photos

"The primary Turk to qualify in ski leaping, Fatih Arda Ipcioglu competed with the East Turkestan flag on his helmet and skis, protesting the Chinese language persecution in China," Uyghur sympathizer Bulent Aksoy posted on Twitter, "Congratulations Fatih Arda."

"Turkish athlete Fatih Arda Ipcioglu went to a ski leaping recreation in #Beijing2022 with the East Turkistan flag on his skis! Thanks," Frances Hui, journalist and self-described Hong Kong activist in exile, posted in a tweet.

Uyghur rights activist Abdugheni Sabit additionally shared reward for Ipcioglu on Twitter, alongside a video of the Olympian with the blue skis prominently displayed.

Ipcioglu, for his half, was evasive and dismissive when pressed by journalists in regards to the potential which means behind his skis.

"I do not wish to reply these questions," he informed Reuters. "I modified my skis; these are my competitors skis...I attempt my greatest and we'll see. I confirmed my leap beneath the Turkish flag."

The Turkish flag sports activities a design virtually similar to the East Turkestan flag, besides that it has a pink background as a substitute of a blue one. On Sunday, the athlete competed with blue skis that lacked the crescent and star image.

"Like I mentioned, I'm a sportsman, I simply do my job," he added. "The opposite issues I do not care about; it is not my job. I do not wish to reply these questions."

When pressed by Reuters, the Olympic Committee of Turkey additionally downplayed the preliminary design of Ipcioglu's skis.

"This was not a political assertion. As chances are you'll know, the official Turkish flag features a white crescent and a star on it," the committee mentioned in an announcement. "Nevertheless, with a purpose to keep away from any confusion, solely the Nationwide Olympic Committee of Turkey emblem [will be] used on our athlete's skis for the rest of the Video games."

The show of political symbols, just like the East Turkestan flag, is strictly forbidden on the Olympics in Beijing.

At 50,000 folks, Turkey hosts the most important inhabitants of Uyghur residents outdoors of the Xinjiang province.

The 2022 Winter Olympics arrived beneath a cloud of controversy, owing largely to China's abuses of the Uyghur folks. Whereas the U.S. withheld diplomatic envoys from the video games in protest, activists mentioned it wasn't sufficient, with some calling for a wholesale boycott of the occasion. On Friday, the opening ceremony drew 14 million viewers on NBC Sports activities, one of many lowest rankings in Olympic TV historical past and down 43 % from the 2018 video games in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

On Friday, a clip from Dutch nationwide broadcaster, NOS, went viral when reporter Sjoerd den Daas was dragged away by Chinese language authorities throughout a stay broadcast. Den Daas later defined that his workforce was capable of arrange in a close-by parking zone, however was given no clarification for the preliminary incident. He additionally famous that quite a few overseas information groups have confronted related interference from Chinese language authorities.

Athletes quarantined after testing optimistic for COVID-19 have additionally accused China of offering insufficient meals and poor housing. Others have referred to as the COVID protocols surrounding the video games complicated, with some symptomatic athletes being taken to hospitals whereas others are saved in resort rooms.