On February 10, 2021, Uighurs residing in Turkey rallied and demonstrated outside the Chinese Communist Embassy in the capital Ankara. They held up pictures of their families and demanded that the outside world pay attention to China’s genocide.
Large demonstrations have erupted for days at the Communist Party embassies in the Central Asian countries of Turkey and Kazakhstan, accusing Beijing of atrocities allegedly committed against ethnic minorities. Turkey has long been a haven for Uighurs, but as the Chinese Communist Party‘s influence in Turkey grows, the two sides could lose a place of refuge for Uighurs if they implement an extradition treaty.
Dozens of Uighurs living in Turkey rallied outside the Communist Party’s embassy in Ankara on Tuesday. They held up photos of their families and demanded attention be paid to the Chinese Communist Party’s genocide.
Some protesters said they had not heard from their families for months and feared they had been sent to re-Education camps.
World Uighur Congress spokesman Dirishati empathized with the protesters.
Dirishati: “These Uyghurs have lost their loved ones and don’t know their whereabouts. They are asking for a response from the Chinese Embassy and also through this protest, (they hope) to make the whole Turkish society take a strong support and send a strong condemnation to the Chinese government through the protest.”
Turkey has always been a preferred destination for Uyghurs going abroad due to similar blood and Culture, but in recent months, the Turkish government has escalated arrests of local Uyghurs. On the 18th of last month, Istanbul police arrested three Uyghurs in an anti-terrorism raid.
Turkey tries to strengthen ties with China to stabilize economy
The series of arrests, coupled with rumors of repatriation centers, have touched a nerve among Uighurs, according to Jian-Yu Shi, an expert on Islamic issues at the Central Asia Institute in Taiwan.
There are two areas in Istanbul where there is a large concentration of what the Chinese Communist Party calls extremist Islamists, meaning they may have Family members or have been to the Islamic State themselves, or have been to Syria and Iraq to fight jihad. The recent arrests have been in those two areas of Istanbul. There are said to be four so-called detention centers within Turkey. These people are held there by the police pending deportation because their identities are unknown.”
According to Jianyu, Turkey has been hoping to strengthen relations with the Chinese Communist Party because of its severe economic recession in recent years and because it has been hit hard by the Epidemic.
The Turkish lira has lost more than 100 percent of its value over the past five years, and the new pneumonia epidemic has added to that. In this regard, if the Chinese government is willing, whether it is a loan or more investment to create jobs, of course, the Turkish government is unconditionally willing to accept. On the issue of the pneumonia vaccine, the official line from Turkey is that they also wanted to buy vaccines from Europe and the United States, but the Chinese Communist government was instead willing to share the medical technology with Turkey at a very cheap price, provided that the Turks were willing to undergo medical trials.”
Officially ratified by the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) National People’s Congress late last year, the bilateral extradition treaty signed earlier between the CPC and Turkey is still pending confirmation by the Turkish parliament.
Uighurs demonstrate outside the Chinese Embassy in Turkey on Feb. 10, 2021, demanding the release of family members suspected of being imprisoned in Xinjiang concentration camps. (AP)
Squire Jianyu: “I think it will definitely pass. After all, the Turkish government is now somewhat at the mercy of China. Although Turkish society has a lot of sympathy for Uighurs and feels that Uighurs are their brothers, but in reality, the Turkish government cannot do much at the moment.”
The Turkish government is known to have explained to local Uighur groups and elites about the extradition treaty in order to allay Uighurs’ concerns.
Squire Jianyu: “Uyghur so-called militants or terrorists as they are called outside, who have been to Syria or have participated in some Islamic State battles, may be sent back to the mainland if they have Chinese passports in their hands or if they can prove their Chinese nationality. If there are some Uighurs who have migrated to Turkey and they have been involved in major crimes on the mainland, they may also be sent back if the Chinese Communist Party can present concrete evidence and after examination and trial by Turkish courts.”
Anti-Chinese Demonstrations in Kazakhstan
Another Central Asian country, Kazakhstan, has also been demonstrating against the Chinese Communist Party for several days. Social activist Baibolat Kunbolat, along with other ethnic Kazakhs, demonstrated again Tuesday at the Communist Party’s embassy in Almaty. Police detained him on suspicion of leading an illegal rally.
Serikzhan Bilash, founder of the Kazakh human rights group Atajurt Volunteers, condemned the Communist Party’s actions in Xinjiang.
Bilash condemned the Communist Party’s mass arrests of Kazakhs in Xinjiang and its attempts to cut off their communication with their ethnic groups abroad. He accused the Kazakh government of being close to Beijing and allowing pro-Beijing figures to slander and intimidate Kazakhs who resist Communist atrocities.
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