Ankara, Feb 10 (IANS) Many of the estimated 50,000 exiled Uyghurs in Turkey who have sought refuge from persecution in their homeland of North West China – particularly those denied permanent citizenship and passports by Turkish authorities – now live in growing fear of being returned to face imprisonment, torture and the wrath of Beijing. Those who escaped the recent wave of arrests and the 2016 internment in China’s so-called “re-education camps” feel particularly vulnerable, a report said on Tuesday.
According to a report in online magazine ‘Bitter Winter’, Turkey, regarded as a trusted friend and refuge for Uyghurs fleeing Chinese persecution for decades, can no longer be considered a safe haven, following a series of arbitrary arrests, threats of deportation, and unfounded terrorism allegations.
Citing the Human Rights Watch (HRW) report ‘Protected No More, Uyghurs in Turkey’ by Yalkun Uluyol, it stated that the duplicity of Turkey has been exposed, with findings showing that Uyghurs without Turkish citizenship are no longer guaranteed safety– confirmed by recurring waves of round-ups, including those of women and children.
“Abduweli Ayup, exiled Uyghur academic, blew the whistle over the detention by Istanbul’s counter terrorism police of 31 Uyghurs who were detained amid a mass corral of suspected ISIS militants before New Year. The Uyghurs, most of whom were employed and had lived without incident in Turkey for more than 10 years were rounded up on 24-25 December 2025, but as mysteriously as they were detained have been released without charge after human rights outcries on their behalf,” the report detailed.
“A Uyghur mother and her one-month-old baby were snatched during the same episode with other family members. While three of her other children were allowed to go home over concerns for their health, Mueyesser Ali and her infant Enes Abdullah were transferred to the Izmir Deportation Centre, awaiting, they feared, a forcible return to China. Mueyesser and her child were released after a week after persistent legal challenges and public pressure. No charges were made or reasons given for the arrest,” it added.
The report stressed that Uyghurs in Turkey are coerced by the Chinese government into collaborating with state proxies, such as Chinese consulates and embassies, through pressure placed on their families in China to provide information about fellow Uyghurs.
“Many Uyghurs whilst mourning for their homeland and their families whom they have little chance of ever seeing again, have as far as possible made new lives for themselves in Turkey, some for more than a decade. Their children are settled in school, many have bought their own homes, acquired the new language, and embarked on new careers,” it stated.
“Many however have begun to realise they are not as safe as they once thought and for many the shock of discovering they could be persona non grata and even marked as terrorists at the behest of the Chinese state, is a time-bomb waiting to explode,” it further noted.
–IANS
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