On Thursday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu met with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Ankara and raised the issue of China’s Uyghur Muslims, as hundreds protested in Istanbul against Beijing’s treatment of the Uyghur minority in Xinjiang. The talks, which were held on the 50th anniversary of Turkey-China diplomatic relations, focused on enhancing the economic cooperation between the two countries as well as continuing the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
A statement released by the Turkish Foreign Ministry said that Cavusoglu had “conveyed our sensitivity and thoughts on Uyghur Turks” to the Chinese side. The meeting between the two countries comes at a time when China is facing increasing international pressure, especially from the West, regarding its actions in the Xinjiang Autonomous Region. Last month, Canada’s House of Commons passed a motion labelling China’s treatment of Uyghurs as genocide, making it the second country after the United States to do so. Though Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan accused China of “genocide” in 2009, he has largely remained silent on the issue since then.
Turkey’s own Uyghur population is concerned about Ankara’s growing ties with Beijing, which could give China an increasing sway over Turkish policies. Their worries have been amplified by Turkey’s dependence on the Chinese-manufactured Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine, of which 6.5 million doses have already been delivered. In January, Turkish police stopped activists from protesting in front of the Chinese consulate in Istanbul after Chinese officials complained about the issue. Beijing had also announced the ratification of an extradition treaty signed with Turkey in 2017, which could lead to the deportation of Uyghurs awaiting Turkish citizenship to China. Moreover, in December last year, in a telephonic conversation with Wang Yi, Cavusoglu said that Turkey “will not allow anyone to undermine China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” while referring to the Chinese crackdown in Xinjiang.
The Uyghurs are a largely Muslim ethnic minority concentrated in the Xinjiang province in northwest China, which has been under a strict government crackdown since the 1990s. It is estimated that around a million Uyghurs are being held in detention camps set up in the region. According to the Human Rights Watch World Report 2021, China’s treatment of Uyghurs “could pose as an existential threat to the rights of people worldwide.” However, Chinese authorities have routinely denied criticisms of its policies in the region.
Opposition parties have called on Erdoğan to make a public statement regarding the Chinese actions in Xinjiang, since Turkey is home to the world’s largest Uyghur diaspora community. However, seeing as Turkey-China ties are set to grow exponentially, whether that happens remains to be seen, especially at a time when Turkey’s relations with the West have seen a major downturn.
Turkey, China Meet in Ankara Amid Mass Protests Against Chinese Treatment of Uyghurs
Turkey’s Uyghur population is concerned about Ankara’s growing ties with Beijing, which could give China an increasing say in Turkish policies
March 26, 2021
SOURCE: CGTN