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Turkish president calls Chinese counterpart over oppression of Uighur Muslims
ANKARA: Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in a telephone conversation with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping expressed concern over the incidents of oppression and violence against Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang.

According to the World News Agency, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan telephoned Chinese President Xi Jinping and discussed in detail the issues of Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang, including bilateral relations.

On the occasion, President Tayyip Erdogan said that the Uighur Muslims of Xinjiang should have the right to live in a peaceful and free environment like other citizens of China.
“We respect China’s security and borders, but we are concerned about the forced arrest of Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang and the pressure to convert in detention centers,” he said. This process should stop.

President Tayyip Erdogan also expressed the wish that the 50th anniversary of Turkish-Chinese friendship should be celebrated in a grand manner.

According to figures from the United Nations and other human rights organizations, about one million Muslim minorities, the majority of whom are Turkic-speaking Uighur Muslims, have been detained and converted to Islam.

Last year, when major trade deals were struck between China and Turkey, 40,000 Uighur Muslims living in Turkey protested and a large demonstration was held in Ankara on the arrival of the Chinese ambassador.

It should be noted that China has been denying claims of forced conversion of Uighur Muslims in the detention centers of other human rights organizations, including the United Nations, but later admitted that these are actually vocational training centers where various skills are taught.