Positive development.
***
Turkey to help in foiling suspects from Xinjiang
China Daily, January 15, 2015
China is to strengthen law enforcement cooperation with Turkey to combat terrorist suspects from the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region entering the Eurasian country illegally.
From Turkey, the suspects travel to countries in the Middle East to join extreme Islamic forces, Chinese authorities said on Wednesday.
"We will enhance intelligence information exchanges and case investigations with Turkish authorities," said an official source who declined to be identified.
"We will work closely with them to investigate Xinjiang suspects who enter Turkey illegally."
The official also said that police from both countries will consider conducting joint operations to smash cross-border criminal gangs who help Xinjiang terrorists to cross China's borders illegally and assist them in obtaining fake Turkish passports.
In recent years, a number of extremists from Xinjiang have entered Southeast Asian countries illegally, including Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia.
In these countries, they usually buy fake passports, travel to Turkey and then move on to Syria or Pakistan to join extremist forces and receive military training before returning to China to plan more terrorist attacks, the source said.
In a case that occurred in November, 10 Turkish suspects were accused of crossing the border illegally by prosecutors in Shanghai.
Eleven others, including nine terrorist suspects from Xinjiang, were charged with organizing and taking part in terrorist organizations, according to Global Times in Beijing.
The report said the 10 Turkish suspects allegedly offered fake Turkish passports to the Xinjiang terrorist suspects, who planned to leave China illegally for Turkey through Shanghai Pudong International Airport.
Each of them was charged 60,000 yuan ($9,790) for an illegal passport and immigration clearance, the report said.
It also said the terrorist suspects from Xinjiang planned to enter Turkey illegally, from where they would transfer to Syria, Afghanistan and Pakistan to join extremist forces.
Police found audio and video materials related to terrorism among the suspects when they tried to leave China. The suspects were detained at the scene, the report said.
Under the Criminal Law, if they are convicted of joining terrorist organizations, suspects face prison terms of three to 10 years. If convicted of organizing and leading terrorist organizations, they face sentences ranging from 10 years to life imprisonment.
The case is still being investigated.
Hong Lei, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told China Daily on Wednesday, "China has been insisting on attacking illegal immigration, and will enhance judicial cooperation with relevant countries to stop such crimes."
Meanwhile, authorities in Xinjiang have announced that people who buy fireworks and firecrackers for Spring Festival must register with their ID cards.
The move is part of efforts to prevent terrorists in Xinjiang from obtaining materials to make explosive devices.
Mei Jianming, director of the Counterterrorism Research Center at People's Public Security University of China, said, "Some practical challenges exist in combating such cases between China and Turkey due to legal obstacles and different legal procedures."
The main task is to "increase mutual trust between the two countries and provide Turkish judicial authorities with solid evidence to prove we are targeting violent terrorists rather than other people," he said.
It is also necessary to enhance judicial cooperation with Interpol and other law enforcement authorities in countries including the United States, Pakistan and Syria to seek their support and assistance, he added.
*** End of article***
But obviously we need to see the words to be supported by concrete action. Turkey government is not particularly famous for respecting other nations' sovereignty.
***
Turkish Government is Complicit in War Crimes with ISIS
BY
LEITH FADEL ON SEPTEMBER 13, 2014
Since the advent of the Syrian Conflict in March 2011,
the Turkish Government has played a proactive role in destabilizing Syria with its deregulation of border security and through channels of military intelligence provided to militants fighting in the country. In fact, the large presence of opposition fighters in northern Syria is a direct result of the Turkish Government’s political agenda. Turkish President, Recep Erdogan, was one of the most outspoken critics of Dr. Bashar Al-Assad, going as far as chastising the Syrian President and issuing public statements of condemnation for the Syrian Government. Perhaps, President Erdogan’s role as the Middle East “peacekeeper” has allowed him to form relationships with extremist groups like the Muslim Brotherhood and Al-Qaeda. However, all of these relationships have a strikingly odd and antithetical predicament with one another: Erdogan maintains regular correspondence with the groups and countries that oppose them – except for Syria, Iran, Lebanon, and Iraq.
...
The belabored claim that the Turkish Government cannot control its border with Syria and Iraq would be easily comprehensible if Turkish civilians were illegally entering the countries; this is the not the case. A wide variety of ethnically diverse ISIS fighters have entered Syria and Iraq through Turkey, likely receiving their visas from the Turkish Government.
How can the Turkish Government claim to have proof that war crimes were committed in Syria, but not have any clue that thousands of ISIS fighters are traveling through your border? How did foreign ISIS fighters arrive in the Nineveh Province of Iraq? Why were foreign ISIS fighters that were wounded in Iraq and Syria treated in Turkish hospitals?
ISIS’ biggest supporter is the Turkish Government and they are not afraid to hide their support. The Turkish Government has stated that it will not comply with the request by the U.S. Government to allow NATO airstrikes to be conducted from their airbases. Furthermore, during a meeting in Jeddeh, Saudi Arabia, the Turkish Government refused to sign a joint declaration to combat ISIS inside their territory, stating that they will take a “passive” approach to deal with terrorism. Turkey has not been a victim of ISIS terrorism; however, their neighbors in Syria and Iraq are committed to an all-out war against the ISIS militants that Erdogan supports.
The Turkish Government’s complex relationships with extremist groups and those who oppose them have further complicated matters.
In truth, the Turkish Government’s role in supporting ISIS is clear; but, their reasoning is hidden beneath the surface. Many political analysts will offer their opinion on ISIS’ creation, but most refrain from mentioning the state that has given the militants a safe-haven and undoubtedly consistent support. ISIS itself remains a foreign concept to those around the world: how can a group so large, manifest inside countries with the most vigilant and prudent intelligence agencies? This remains inexplicable.
