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Turkey airs rare public criticism of China's treatment of Uyghurs

Turkey is openly criticizing China's treatment of the Uyghur minority as more tension emerges between Huawei and its Turkish partner telecom operator Turkcell.
Members of Muslim Uyghur minority present pictures of their relatives detained in China during a press conference in Istanbul, on May 10, 2022. (Photo by OZAN KOSE/AFP via Getty Images)

The ties between Turkey and China have gone sour in a rare public display recently with the top Turkish diplomat openly saying the progress in the bilateral relations has “slowed down” over Beijing’s treatment of its Uyghur minority. 

“China is disturbed by our position defending the Uyghur Turks’ rights before the international community,” Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu was quoted as saying by Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency during a year-end briefing last week.

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