Turkey: Update to TUR32884.E of 7 October 1999 on the treatment of Uighurs and ethnic Chinese; Dogu Turkistan Association, Dogu Turkistan Kurtulush Orgutu and Khazak Vakfi; a meeting in Sultan Ahmet Square (Istanbul) in April 2000 (2000-2002)
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 22 April 2002 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | TUR38425.E |
| Reference | 2 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Turkey: Update to TUR32884.E of 7 October 1999 on the treatment of Uighurs and ethnic Chinese; Dogu Turkistan Association, Dogu Turkistan Kurtulush Orgutu and Khazak Vakfi; a meeting in Sultan Ahmet Square (Istanbul) in April 2000 (2000-2002) , 22 April 2002, TUR38425.E , available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3df4beb60.html [accessed 3 November 2019] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
A number of reports have noted that Turkey both emphasizes the racial and linguistic bonds with the Uyghur Turkic peoples, but also condemn groups advocating Uyghur separatism in China's Xinjiang (East Turkistan) region (AP 16 Apr. 2002; AFP 6 Jan. 2001; Turkistan Newsletter 1 Mar. 2000). A representative of the Uyghur American Association (UAA) contacted for information wrote: "As far as I know, Uyghurs [in Turkey] are not discriminated [against] based on ethnicity, but they are not allowed to voice their opinion against China freely" (11 Apr. 2002).
According to the UAA representative, "[a]fter Chinese President Jiang Zemin visited Turkey [in 2000], the political voice of the Uyghurs in Turkey has come under ... pressure from the Turkish authorities. That is the reason the political centers of Uyghur movement [have] moved out of Turkey" (ibid.).
This visit to Turkey on 18-20 April 2000 (Turkey Update 19 Apr. 2000; Zhongguo Tongxun She 20 Apr. 2000), led "Turkey's leaders [to pledge] not to support separatism in Xinjiang" (BBC 29 May 2000). According to Chinese sources, Turkish President Demirel "concurred in banning activities of elements for Xinjiang independence'" (Zhongguo Tongxun She 20 Apr. 2000). The UAA representative further mentioned that:
Turkey used to be political center of Uyghur exiles, but not any more. East Turkistan/Uyghurstan National Congress, the umbrella organization of Uyghur diaspora moved out of Turkey and settled in Germany. Most of the prominent Uyghur activists left Turkey [because] the Uyghur activities have come under increased government pressure. Other Uyghur organizations, which are still in Turkey, are mostly reduced to community organizations with very little room to carry out anti-China activities (17 Apr. 2002).
Referring to a 14 April 2002 Reuters article reporting on Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji's visit to Turkey, the UAA representative stated:
Turkey [was] prepared to accommodate China's request even before the Chinese leader set foot in Turkey. They seem to become the second country in the world, after Pakistan, to repeat the Chinese claims about "East Turkistan terrorists". We have a sense that Turkey wants to get economic benefits from China in exchange for sacrificing the rights of Uyghurs (17 Apr. 2002).
East Turkistan Groups
Anatolia reported on a 19 April 2000 meeting among "[c]ertain NGOs [who] condemned the resolution to grant Chinese President Jiang Zemin with a Medal of Honor' during his visit to Turkey" (19 Apr. 2001) This report specified that a "joint press conference [was held] at Istanbul's Suleymaniye Cultural Center" and attended by
[t]he Foundation for Research on Turkish World, Society of Intellectuals Headquarters, East Turkistan Immigrants Society, Istanbul offices of the Turkish Society, Federation of Eurasian Turkish Associations, Turkish Literature Association, East Turkistan Society, Ahmet Yesevi Foundation, Eurasia Association, Association of Crimean Turks, Culture and Solidarity Association of Iraqi Turks, and the Turan Culture Society (ibid.).
The Suleymaniye complex is located in the "neighbourhood of Eminonu" in Istanbul (exploreistanbul.com n.d.). The Research Directorate was unable to find reports of similar meetings held in the Sultan Ahmet (Sultanahmet) Square in Istanbul in April 2000.
A group calling itself East Turkestan (Turkistan) Liberation Organization (ETLO) [or Dogu Turkistan Kurtulush Orgutu (Hazar.com 16 Apr. 2001)] is mentioned in connection to a 1998 killing of a Chinese restaurant owner in Istanbul (Turkish Daily News 7 Apr. 1998). In 1999, Reuters reported that Turkish "[p]olice ... detained 10 [ELTO] supporters ... in connection with a series of attacks on Chinese nationals" including the one mentioned in 1998 (11 Oct. 1999). No further reports of this organization were found among sources consulted for this Response.
A Turkish Press Scanner reprint of a Hurriyet article refers to Dogu Turkistan Vakfi, which is translated as East Turkestan Foundation (Hazar.com 16 Apr. 2001), when it noted that:
At the core of the problem [in Turkey's relations with China] is the fact that from time to time the activities in Turkey of the migrants from the Sinkiang Uyghur Autonomous Region gain a content, which is directed against China's territorial integrity. These people rally mostly around the East Turkestan Migrants' Associations and the East Turkestan Foundation (13 Feb. 1999).
Dogu Turkistan Vakfi is listed as being located in Istanbul (Business Guide of Turkey 6 Apr. 2002); however, attempts to contact a representative of this organization were unsuccessful.
The Research Directorate was unable to find references to a Khazak Vakfi [or Kazakh Foundation (Hazar.com 16 Apr. 2001)], or reports published after 1998 of the Dogu Turkistan Association among sources consulted for this Response.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Agence France Presse (AFP) [Hong Kong]. 6 January 2001. "Chinese FM Tang in Turkey to Enhance Bilateral Ties." (FBIS-CHI-2001-0106 6 Jan. 2001/WNC)
Anatolia [Ankara, in English]. 19 April 2000. "Turkey: NGO's, BBP Against Granting Zemin Medal of Honor." (FBIS-WEU-2000-0419 19 Apr. 2000/WNC)
Associated Press (AP). 16 April 2002. Suzan Fraser. "Chinese Prime Minister Asks Turkey to Curb Activities of Uighur Groups." (Yahoo.com)
BBC. 29 May 2000. Duncan Hewitt. "China Clampdown on Muslim Region."
Business Guide of Turkey. 6 April 2002. "Foundations/Vakiflar."
Exploreistanbul.com. n.d. "Suleymaniye Mosque."
Hazar.com. 16 April 2001. Turkish to English Translation Tool.
Reuters. 14 April 2002. Jonathan Ansfield. "China's Zhu Heads to Turkey, Egypt and Kenya." (Yahoo.com)
_____. 11 October 1999. "Xinjiang Separatists Held for Killings of Chinese in Turkey." (Inside China Today)
Turkey Update. 19 April 2000. "Chinese President Jiang Zemin in Turkey."
Turkish Daily News [Ankara]. 7 April 1998. "Crime in Chinese Restaurant."
Turkish Press Scanner. 13 February 1999. Sedat Ergin. "Trouble in Turkey-China Relations."
Turkistan Newsletter. 1 March 2000. Vol. 4, No. 57. Jack Churchward. "Will Turkey Abandon the Homeland of Turkic People'?" (Hosted by Eurasianet.org)
Jack Churchward is the Vice-President of the Uyghur American Association based in Clearwater, Florida (UAA 17 Sept. 2001).
Uyghur American Association (UAA). 17 April 2002. Email correspondence with representative
_____. 11 April 2002. Email correspondence with representative
_____. 17 April 2001. "Contact Us."
Zhongguo Tongxun She [Hong Kong, in Chinese]. 20 April 2000. Si Liang. "China and Turkey Make Joint Efforts to Curb Xinjiang Independence' Activities." (FBIS-CHI-2000-0420 20 Apr. 2000/WNC)
Additional Sources Consulted
IRB Databases
NEXIS
Internet sites including:
Amnesty International
East Turkistan Information Bulletin
East Turkistan Information Center
Groups.google.com
Human Rights Watch
International Taklamakan Human Rights Association
Keesing's Record of World Events
Radio Free Asia Reports
Turkey Update
Turkish Daily News (April 2000)
Uighur Human Rights Coalition
Uighur-L Mailing List
Unrecognized Nations and Peoples Organization
Uyghur American Association
World Uyghur Network News ( 1998-1999, 2001)
Search engines:
Google.com
Yahoo.com
