TURKEY: Government defends Chinese Uighur minority
When Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan criticized Israel’s actions in Gaza, he was aligning himself with his fellow Muslims.
Now he’s picking up the standard of the Uighurs in northwest China.
The Uighurs, who like the Turks are an ethically Turkic and Sunni Muslim people, are the focus of riots in Xinjiang Province, sparking tensions with both the Chinese government and members of the Han Chinese ethnic group.
In response to ethnic violence as a result of the riots, Erdogan didn’t mince words: “These incidents in China are as if they are genocide…. We ask the Chinese government not to remain a spectator to these incidents. There is clearly a savagery here.”
The Turks have rushed to the defense of the Uighurs, while the Iranian government has remained silent, even alleging that the Uighurs were acting at the behest of the U.S.
Iran has fashioned itself as a leader of Muslims worldwide, but the unrest following the Iranian elections may be keeping the government silent.
Erdogan may also be trying to shore up relations with other Turkic states in central Asia. A new pipeline project, which will connect Europe to Turkey, could be connected to Central Asian energy sources.
Turkey will also likely host Uighur dissident Rebiya Kadeer, who is in exile in the United States. Kadeer was been denied a visa earlier, but Erdogan intervened to grant her entry into Turkey.
While Erdogan is ratcheting up the diplomatic pressure, the Turkish Trade and Industry minister suggested a boycott of Chinese goods: “The demonstrations are not sufficient alone. There must be a boycott of the Chinese products.”
Today the Chinese government dismissed Erdogan’s comments in the state-owned China daily. The editorial added: “Mr. Erdogan's remarks, which constitute interference in China's internal affairs, are the last thing the Uygur and Han Chinese would find helpful when they are looking forward to lasting peace.”
— Jahd Khalil in Beirut
Photo: A young ethnic Uighur girl holds a toddler in Urumqi, Xinjiang Province, China. Credit: Diego Azubel / EPA
The thugs of Ankara have nothing in common with real Turks (like uighurs, ozbeks,...who all share the same racial commonality)exept for the language they spoke. Language which was imposed on them by ottomans.
The thugs of Ankara, should first clean their back yard before insulting/ advising others to do so.
I have been to urumqi 3 times in the past few years and each time I wish my suppressed (kurdistan) was part of great China.
The uighurs are free not only to speak their language freely, but as a matter of fact a lot of uighurs speak...only uighur langauage.
It's not compulsory for uighurs to learn chinese. They lern their own language at schools, universities,....There are many TV- , radiochannels broadcasting exclusively in uighurs..
Posted by: kurdo | September 27, 2009 at 12:13 AM
The real issue is: China is persecuting yet another of its many minorities. What the Japanese did to Manchurians in 1930s, China is now doing to its Uyghur, and Tibetans, and even Taiwanese. Just because China is selling the cheapest goods the world cannot get enough of, doesn't mean a blank check for China on human rights. And some bloggers here are trying to shift the attention of the the world away from China's embarrassment to Turkey's internal issues. Nice try, but the world will not be fooled. China: shape up or ship out of the civilized world! Don't forget, we, the Western consumer, made you. And we can also break you...
Posted by: Eric Gunther | July 31, 2009 at 04:12 PM
The West is planning to use Turkey's panturkism as a tool of pressure against China and Armenia.
And now the panturkist and islamist Gulen schools in the USA are spreading their ideology to the african, latino and asian communities.
There is only way to solve the problem.
The Chinese and Armenian diasporas should object to this hateful ideology spread by the Turkish army and the Turkish islamists.
Posted by: Gustin | July 27, 2009 at 07:16 AM
At first I thought he was condemning those terrorists killing innocent Han civilians. Then i realized he's talking about how the Chinese government doing plastic surgery on those dead Han to make them look Uighur.
Posted by: Chad | July 22, 2009 at 07:27 PM
What are all these people on about! We have this saying in Turkey it says: "Turks have no friends, but Turks". Every excuse used to blame Turkey for its doings, on the other hand, doings of others continues without question. Comments on this page only are enough to see that, all are waiting to see a Turkey has gone down to staff it... Well keep waiting...
Posted by: IYO | July 19, 2009 at 11:59 AM
Uighurs islamist extremists havent done 200 terrorist attacks including bus bombings, assasinations, poisonings. Its all han chinese's fabrication.
Uighurs islamist extremists have never been to Afganistan, Pakistan to get some training at the al Qaeda Bases. Actually they are peaceful freedom fighters.
Posted by: Jk | July 17, 2009 at 03:15 AM
I can see the Armenians, Greeks and Kurds are callous to slaughter of Muslims and Turks? ? you have no shame AT ALL. if you kind can stop spewing the usual propaganda even for a second you would realize it was your" turks" who attacked thr han chinese sometimes whole families by slitting your throats, decapitating them burning them alive and other barbarities. you know the stuff you turks are so expert at.
I can see the you Those of you tuks constantly who seek spread turkish lies and falsifications of past and present history from Turks should GO GET A LIFE!...
Posted by: john | July 16, 2009 at 07:59 AM
Some talked about supporting" the fight of Uyghurs, Tibetans, Sudanese, Mianmar"...how about including Iraqi, Afghans and Palestinians?Please, remind me of who's behind repressing these people!
Posted by: hamza | July 16, 2009 at 07:10 AM
I can see the Armenains, Greeks and Kurds are callous to slaughter of Muslims and Turks. This shows they are not defenders of human rights.
First off 40,000 Kurds were killed by the terrorist organization PKK, who is not interested in freedom of Kurds or an independent Kurdish State. All they achieve from chaos is trade in illegal drugs.
The Armenians are scared to discuss he events of 1915. They prefer to remain in their make believe world rather than prove their alleged geno- without forgeries that is...
Greeks should explain what they were doing in the outskirts of Ankara, when Mustafa Kemal Pasha pushed them off from Izmir.
Those of you who seek vengeance from Turksw at every turn of events should GO GET A LIFE!...
Posted by: Jannaan | July 15, 2009 at 01:48 PM
The only shame I carry my friend is the shame of humanity. Germans and Jews, Europeans and Native Americans, Rome and The Galls, The Japanese and the Chinese, Armenians and Turks. etc. Since you insist I must remind every in America that the only reason their rear ends are currently occupying the space that it is, is because of what happened to the Native Americans. It was wrong and so it what Turkey did. But people we need to move forward and if all you ever think about is revenge that will never happen. I know Turkey has problems and some Turks are jerks but so are some Armenians and we can only meet you half way.
Posted by: KO | July 15, 2009 at 01:32 PM
you want know know the TRUE meaning of sleaze i highly recommend you turks to take a very long and hard look at a mirror. instead of whipping up phony outrages while committing the very same outrages throughout your sick and bloody past and present.
stop your idiotic pot calling the kettle black nonsense. you're not fooling anyone. you're just each other.
Posted by: jack | July 15, 2009 at 11:46 AM
OK but then you don't deny what I originally said. I don't like Erdogan very much at all. But the Uighurs have no association to Armenia other than through Turkey. And also Erdogan calling what is happening to them as genocide is sleazy but no more sleazy as some of the people in this forum who keep bringing up something everyone already knows about and is not directly related to what is happening.
Posted by: KO | July 15, 2009 at 09:59 AM
How come they didn't take those muslims who were in Gitmo if they are so enamored about them?
They are muslims, following the teachings of the koran and mohammed and have done some atrocious things against people just because they are non-muslims. It is about time we started telling the truth about them and stop this political correctness which is only another word for covering up what they are.
Posted by: R_not | July 15, 2009 at 01:05 AM
This seems a little unwarranted from Erdogan. I'm sure he would not be pleased if the chinese interfered with the turks treatment of the kurds.
Posted by: Technology Slice | July 14, 2009 at 09:43 PM
Facts:
Xinjiang has been invaded by HAN.
Xinjiang is a name created by manciu.
Xinjiang HAN pop. has been increasing from 6% to 40% ,thanks government policies..HAN,like they do in other asian countries,controll the economy and the politic of the area...
Uighurs are still poor, h
Posted by: CHRJS | July 14, 2009 at 07:09 PM
the truth is Callous turks like YOU and your "president" below who are more than happy to use what is happening to the Uyghurs to coverup your crimes against humanity. further more the only thing you are expert at is mass murders and genocides but you cannot fool the world. you are only fooling yourselves.
Posted by: joe | July 14, 2009 at 05:15 PM
The world is right to condemn the Chinese government's long-standing policies towards the Uighurs and the current repression in the Xinjiang Province. Turkish government, however, has absolutely no moral authority to speak of "genocide."
One runs the risk of going to jail in Turkey for the words "Armenian Genocide" under Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code. Nobel Prize winning Turkish author Orhan Pamuk almost went to jail for speaking about the Armenian Genocide, and Armenian-Turkish human rights activist Hrant Dink was gunned down in 2007 in large part because he challenged the taboo and openly spoke of Turkey's genocide of the Armenians.
So here is a classic double standard: call it Genocide when the Uighurs and the Palestinians are dying (whether the term is justified or not), but viciously prosecute those Turkish citizens who characterize the deaths of 1.5 million Armenians as "genocide," despite the overwhelming scholarly evidence proving the veracity of the Armenian Genocide per criteria set by UN's Charter on Genocide and Human Rights.
The suffering and deaths of the Uighurs are tragic and should not be diminished in any way, but Turkey is exposing its flagrant double standard by accusing China of genocide while refusing to recognize the Armenian Genocide.
John Avedian,
Hollywood, CA
Posted by: John | July 14, 2009 at 05:11 PM
the criminal turkeyi s making up phony fables about some "genocide" in china while doing everything to coverup their REAL genocides they HAVE committed against the armenians, the assyrians, the greeks the bulgarians and now committing against the kurds.
Posted by: joe | July 14, 2009 at 03:24 PM
Callous Armenians, Greeks, and Kurds who are more than happy to use what is happening to the Uyghurs to promote their own self interest. I see a lot of that here.
Posted by: KO | July 14, 2009 at 02:16 PM
How could this Erdogan say that this looks like Genocide and not accepting the genocide the Ottomans brought upon the Aramaic, Armenian and Greek people!?
Posted by: Benjamin | July 14, 2009 at 01:55 PM