Turkey repatriating Uighurs to China via third countries - Telegraph
Turkey is helping China repatriate Uighur Muslims by sending them to third countries from which they can be extradited by Beijing, the
Telegraph reported on Sunday.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan portrays himself as a protector of Muslims across the world, and an estimated 50,000 Uighurs have sought refuge in Turkey from repression in China.
Around 1.5 million Uighurs are thought to be held in concentration camps across China.
But an increasing number of Uighurs in Turkey are
fearful of China’s reach, and some activists argue that Ankara’s growing economic dependence on Beijing is compromising its ability to withstand Chinese pressure and to protect Uighurs, The Telegraph said.
The Telegraph documented several cases in which Turkey had sent Uighurs to countries like Tajikistan, where it is easier for China to secure their extradition.
İbrahim Ergin, a lawyer who specialises in deportation cases, told the Telegraph that Turkey will not extradite Uighurs directly to China.
“So they [China] try to make their lives as miserable as they can, and get them sent to other countries where possible,” he said. “As China and Turkey’s relations have got better, it’s the Uighurs who have lost.”
https://ahvalnews.com/turkey-uighurs/turkey-repatriating-uighurs-china-third-countries-telegraph