,
4 tweets,
1 min read
Read on Twitter
This is a big big deal. 1) almost no other country in the Muslim world has made a statement this strong (except maybe Malaysia) 2) Turkey is speaking up despite $3.6 billion in infrastructure funding from China and undoubtedly very heavy diplomatic pressure
Some context— in 2015 a wave of protests & riots in Istanbul over China’s treatment of Uighurs, whose culture is close to Turkish culture, caused friction between China and Turkey. This was also a time when Uighur migrants were escaping China and landing in Turkey.
The Chinese government put heavy pressure on Turkey in response. Last year, contacts in the Uighur community in Turkey told me they believed demonstrations outside the Chinese consulate would no longer be possible.
Turkey has even expanded military ties with China— significant because it’s a NATO member. China is used to human rights criticism from the US & EU, but the fact that Turkey, a Belt & Road partner, is making this kind of statement on Uighurs shows China has bigger problems.
