Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan tells Xi Jinping: Xinjiang’s Uygurs must be treated as ‘equal citizens’ of China

Name: Beijing hits back at Western sanctions against China’s alleged treatment of Uygur Muslims
Uploaded: 2021-07-14T09:21:20.000Z
Duration: 3 min 36 s
Description: Beijing hits back at Western sanctions against China’s alleged treatment of Uygur Muslims

The Turkish president has been criticised for his approach to Xinjiang, where Beijing’s policies have prompted growing international criticism

An extradition treaty signed by the two countries last year sparked protests from Uygurs who feared it could be used to return them to China

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A masked Uygur protester at a demonstration in Istanbul earlier this year. Photo: EPA-EFE

Amber Wangin Beijing

Published: 5:21pm, 14 Jul 2021Updated: 10:38pm, 14 Jul 2021

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan highlighted the importance of Uygur Muslims living in freedom as “equal citizens” of China during a phone call with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on Tuesday.

Without naming Xinjiang, Xi stressed that the two sides should respect each other’s “core concerns” and boost trade and economic cooperation, according to a readout of the call from the website of the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

A statement from the Turkish president’s office said that Erdogan had “highlighted the importance of the Uygur Turks living in prosperity, freedom and peace as equal citizens of China” but also “voiced Turkey’s respect for China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”.

The two countries have been moving closer economically, with the volume of trade between them worth US$24 billion last year, according to Chinese state news agency Xinhua, which said the number of transactions had risen despite the impact of the pandemic.

Last month, Turkey’s central bank agreed with China to increase an existing currency swap facility to US$6 billion from US$2.4 billion, in a move that could boost foreign reserves. Calling the agreement “very important”, Erdogan said China “is very important and one of our biggest trade partners”.

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Beijing hits back at Western sanctions against China’s alleged treatment of Uygur Muslims

Meanwhile, Beijing has been seeking support for its policies in Xinjiang from Turkey, amid rising accusations it is carrying out genocide and crimes against humanity against Turkic Muslim groups in the region.