Turkey urges Chinese authorities to protect the cultural rights of minority Muslim Uyghurs

By SUZAN FRASER
Associated Press

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — An official says Turkey’s foreign minister has urged Chinese authorities to protect the cultural rights of minority Muslim Uyghurs and allow them to “live their values.” Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Wednesday ended a three-day visit to China that included a visit to China’s Xinjiang province. Turkey has cultural and ethnic ties to the Uyghurs and many members of the community, fleeing human rights violations in the region, have found sanctuary in Turkey. China is accused of sending more than a million Uyghurs and other largely Muslim minorities into prisons and detention camps in China. Beijing denies human rights abuses and says the centers were for vocational training.