Turkey reviews defense agreements with China after crackdown on Uighurs in Xinjiang
Thursday, July 23, 2009 E-Mail this story Free Headline Alerts
ANKARA Ñ Turkey government has come under internal political pressure to suspend defense relations with China.
Turkish government sources said Prime Minister Recep Erdogan has received appeals from Islamist parliamentarians to suspend defense projects with China. The sources said many members of the ruling Justice and Development Party have been angered by China's crackdown on Uighur Muslims.
"Nothing has been affected yet, but there is a threat that Erdogan will have to respond to the Chinese crackdown," a government source said.
The sources said Turkey has been closely monitoring the Chinese crackdown on Uighurs in the Xinjiang. Uighurs speak a Turkish dialect and have been supported by Islamic associations linked to Erdogan's party.
Erdogan has condemned Beijing's crackdown in Xinjiang, in which about 200 people have been killed, On July 9, Erdogan termed operations by Chinese security forces "almost a genocide."
So far, a senior Turkish official, Industry Minister Nihat Ergun, has called for a Turkish boycott of Chinese products. But Ankara has not taken any action.
Ankara has kept its defense relations with Beijing under wraps. The two countries have cooperated in the development of a surface-to-surface rocket and were said to be discussing other projects.
"If you cannot take certain risks and afford strained relations with China and choose to remain inactive, then this will not correspond to your vision of a big state," former Turkish Diaspora Affairs Minister Ahat Andican said.