Turkey denies claim it is staffing ISIS with Uighurs
Turkey has called allegations from China that it is sending Uighurs to fight alongside the self-proclaimed Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) in Syria "laughable," the Foreign Ministry said, telling the media on Wednesday "it is just not true."
Responding to a question alleging that Turkish diplomats had given passports to those wanting to travel to the war-torn country, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Tanju Bilgiç said, "These allegations are ridiculous." "This is not an allegation to even answer; it is laughable," Bilgiç added.
China's Ministry of Public Security claimed Saturday that many of the 109 Uighur migrants that Thailand had recently sent to the country had been "on their way to Turkey, Syria or Iraq to join extremists." Thailand had deported the Uighurs after it said it had "clear evidence" they were Chinese nationals.
State news agency Xinhua alleged Saturday that "recruitment gangs were uncovered in Turkey by a Chinese police investigation, which also discovered that Turkish diplomats in some Southeast Asian countries had facilitated the illegal movement of people." The Uighurs were from a group of around 350 people who had been detained in Thai immigration centers for around two years. Of the 350, around 180 - almost all women and children - have arrived in Turkey, 109 have been sent to China and around 60 are thought to have remained in Thailand. Thailand has been harshly criticized by the U.N., the European Union and human rights groups for repatriating the 109 Uighurs back to China, where activists say they face persecution.
Bilgiç said Wednesday that Turkey would host the 60 "if they come," underlining that the country had never refused any guest "who had come to its door."
He added, however, that the country was respectful of China's territorial integrity and sees the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region - where many of the Uighurs are suspected of fleeing from - as being part of China.
Many Turks believe that Uighurs are among a number of Turkic peoples that inhabit the Xinjiang region, and consider it to be part of Central Asia, not China.
On Tuesday, a Uighur group based in Turkey called for calm following recent protests against Beijing's alleged restrictions on its Muslim Turkic minority and Thailand's recent deportation of 109 Uighurs to China. "We are inviting our East Turkestan citizens, those who have been exposed to years of human rights violations and violence, and those who sought refuge in Turkey, to calm down," it said.
Responding to a question alleging that Turkish diplomats had given passports to those wanting to travel to the war-torn country, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Tanju Bilgiç said, "These allegations are ridiculous." "This is not an allegation to even answer; it is laughable," Bilgiç added.
China's Ministry of Public Security claimed Saturday that many of the 109 Uighur migrants that Thailand had recently sent to the country had been "on their way to Turkey, Syria or Iraq to join extremists." Thailand had deported the Uighurs after it said it had "clear evidence" they were Chinese nationals.
State news agency Xinhua alleged Saturday that "recruitment gangs were uncovered in Turkey by a Chinese police investigation, which also discovered that Turkish diplomats in some Southeast Asian countries had facilitated the illegal movement of people." The Uighurs were from a group of around 350 people who had been detained in Thai immigration centers for around two years. Of the 350, around 180 - almost all women and children - have arrived in Turkey, 109 have been sent to China and around 60 are thought to have remained in Thailand. Thailand has been harshly criticized by the U.N., the European Union and human rights groups for repatriating the 109 Uighurs back to China, where activists say they face persecution.
Bilgiç said Wednesday that Turkey would host the 60 "if they come," underlining that the country had never refused any guest "who had come to its door."
He added, however, that the country was respectful of China's territorial integrity and sees the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region - where many of the Uighurs are suspected of fleeing from - as being part of China.
Many Turks believe that Uighurs are among a number of Turkic peoples that inhabit the Xinjiang region, and consider it to be part of Central Asia, not China.
On Tuesday, a Uighur group based in Turkey called for calm following recent protests against Beijing's alleged restrictions on its Muslim Turkic minority and Thailand's recent deportation of 109 Uighurs to China. "We are inviting our East Turkestan citizens, those who have been exposed to years of human rights violations and violence, and those who sought refuge in Turkey, to calm down," it said.
Last Update: July 15, 2015 22:29