The Uyghur factor in China-Türkiye relations: insecurity, transnational repression, and legitimacy

Abstract

China expands its influence in the Islamic world through economic, diplomatic, and cultural initiatives while committing crimes against humanity against Uyghurs. Turkey is one of the striking cases to examine this contradiction between China’s atrocities in the Uyghur region and its expansive soft power maneuver in MENA. This article focuses on how the Uyghurs affect China-Turkey relations through the lenses of insecurity, transnational repression, and legitimacy. The article argues that the Chinese government’s insecurity about the Uyghurs resulted in the persecution of Uyghurs since late 2016 with the “Strike Hard” campaign, where Uyghurs with foreign ties were severely punished. Parallel with developments at home, the Chinese authorities also carried out transnational repression to target critics or surveil diaspora communities in countries like Turkey. Furthermore, anti-Western sentiments in Turkey and China’s growing economic influence prevented Ankara from speaking out for Uyghurs, which is exploited by China to legitimize its policies in the Uyghur region at the international level.