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Turkey's Erdogan abandons the Xinjiang Uyghurs
Read more on - Polity | Economy | Schemes | S&T | Environment
- Turkey goes silent: It’s been many years since Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Xinjiang, the 'autonomous' territory inhabited by Uyghur Muslims living under strict Chinese control. In 2009, Erdogan had called Chinese repression of Uyghurs a “genocide,” drawing China's anger, but cementing his reputation as a defiant Muslim leader willing to speak truth to totalitarian power. But as Turkey grew economically dependent on Beijing, he is no longer offering a safe haven or defending Uyghur rights.
- Crushing them: Eight years seems like a lifetime given how much the Chinese Communist Party has encroached on Uyghur rights in just about every aspect of life. By now, much of the world has heard of the millions of Uyghurs being rounded up into concentration camps in Xinjiang. China says the interned are being cleansed of extremism and taught how to be good citizens! They’re free to leave whenever they like. Many ex-inmates inform that these camps are nothing but prisons that enable ethnic cleansing and cultural genocide.
- Earlier days: Uyghur repression didn’t start with the camps. Even when Erdogan was in Xinjiang, many Uyghurs were trying to get out. They saw Erdogan’s visit as a gesture of solidarity. The Uyghurs are an ethnically Turkic people, and language is closely related to Turkish. So moving to Turkey made sense, especially considering how the country offered Uyghurs asylum as early as 1952. A good idea in 2012 has turned out to be a false hope. Erdogan’s authoritarian efforts to keep power in Turkey by muzzling the free press and locking up dissidents have made him an uneasy ally for liberal democracies. This often translates into changing Ankara’s policy toward Turkey’s 35,000 Uyghurs, from offering a safe haven to imposing downright repression.
- Uyghurs in Turkey: Most Uyghurs have found it much harder to get resident permits or citizenship after 2014. They can’t make a living but risk being interned if they go back to Xinjiang. China also refused to renew their passports. Gradually, a Turkish government that was supposed to offer them freedom is now raiding Uyghur homes, arresting hundreds of people, and coordinating deportations with Beijing.
- Turkish repression: Some Uyghur refugees whose families were lucky enough to get residential status in Turkey, were suddenly detained. They were mysteriously deemed illegal migrants from Tajikistan and sent back to China. This kind of treatment has become routine for Uyghurs in Turkey, who now live in fear of further persecution. This is happening as Turkey shifts away from its NATO allies and toward Russia and China. China just ratified an extradition agreement with Turkey in what it calls a counterterrorism partnership. Erdogan has plenty of allies in this new status quo.
- Knowledge centre -
- Xinjiang province - Known to the Chinese as Xiyu (“Western Regions”) for centuries, the area became Xinjiang (“New Borders”) upon its annexation under the Qing (Manchu) dynasty in the 18th century. Westerners long called it Chinese Turkistan to distinguish it from Russian Turkistan. The Uyghurs are Turkic-speaking Muslims from the Central Asian region. The largest population live in China's autonomous Xinjiang region, in the country's north-west.
- Recep Tayyip Erdogan - Erdogan has taken Turkey away from its secular, liberal leanings to a more strident Islamist demeanour. As the General Chairman of the AK Party, won a victory during the parliamentary elections held on July 22, 2007 and established the 60th government of the Republic of Turkey by winning 46.6 % of the votes and received the vote of confidence. Erdogan, winning 49 % of the votes, arose triumphant at the end of the parliamentary elections held on June 12, 2011 and established the 61st government. Elected the 12th President on August 10, 2014, Recep Tayyip Erdogan is also the first President of the Republic of Turkey elected by popular vote. Mr. Erdogan was sworn in on July 9, 2018 as the first President of the Presidential System of Government, which Turkey switched to following the constitutional amendment that was adopted in the referendum on April 16, 2017.
- Republic of Turkey - The Treaty of Lausanne of July 24, 1923, led to the international recognition of the sovereignty of the newly formed "Republic of Turkey" as the successor state of the Ottoman Empire, and the republic was officially proclaimed on October 29, 1923, in the new capital of Ankara. The modern spelling "Turkey" dates back to at least 1719. The Turkish name Türkiye was adopted in 1923 under the influence of European usage. Islam in Turkey dates back to the 8th century, when Turkic tribes fought alongside Arab Muslims against Chinese forces at the Battle of Talas in 751 A.D. Spurred by the influence of ruling dynasties, many people converted to Islam over the next few centuries. Its population is 8.3 cr, and GDP (2020) $ 0.6 trillion.
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