Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Saturday, Jul 12, 2025

Diplomatic storm in Turkey over China's treatment of Uighur population

Diplomatic storm in Turkey over China's treatment of Uighur population

Turkey summoned China's ambassador after the embassy suggested on Twitter that it could take action against two Turkish politicians that had criticised Beijing's treatment of its Muslim Uighur community.

A diplomatic storm has erupted in Turkey after two politicians criticised China's treatment of its Muslim Uighur community.

Uighurs are a Muslim and Turkic-speaking minority native to the Xinjiang region in northwest China.

Several NGOs and countries have accused China of persecuting Uighurs, subjecting them to various abuses in camps.

Beijing rejects these accusations and maintains the camps are "professional training centres" against extremism.

Meral Aksener, chairwoman of Turkey's opposition IVI party, and Ankara mayor Mansur Yavas, from the opposition CHP party, joined in the criticism.

Their posts on Twitter made reference to the killing of Uighurs by Chinese forces during an uprising in Baren district in April 1990, describing the events as a "massacre".

The Chinese embassy thentagged Aksener and Yavas in two Twitter posts, defending the country's policies and stating that "the Chinese side reserves its right to a rightful response".

"The Chinese side resolutely opposes and strongly condemns any challenge by any person or power to China's sovereignty and territorial integrity."

The comments were widely interpreted as a threat against the two politicians and caused a social media outrage in Turkey.


 A Turkish foreign ministry official confirmed that China's ambassador was summoned on Tuesday, without giving further details.

In recent years, thousands of Uighurs have sought refuge in Turkey because of their shared cultural ties, and communities have repeatedly demonstrated outside the Chinese consulate in Istanbul and the embassy in Ankara.


"We will not forget our brothers in captivity and we will not remain silent in the face of their persecution," Aksener had said on Twitter.

"East Turkistan (the name given by Uighurs to the Xinjiang region) will surely be free one day."

"The Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region is inseparable from the territory of China," the embassy retorted in a tweet, adding that the Turkish politicians' statements were wrong.

The Turkish government of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been criticised nationally for remaining silent on the matter and building stronger economic ties with Beijing.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Germany Seeks Taliban Deal to Deport Afghan Migrants
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
Qatar Airways Clears Backlog of Passengers Following Missile Threats
Iran's Parliament Votes to Suspend Cooperation with Nuclear Watchdog
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Oman Set to Introduce Personal Income Tax, First in Gulf
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
Iran Conducts Ballistic Missile Launches Amid Heightened Tensions with Israel
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
×