Uighur shame

Turkey’s Foreign Ministry has called China’s treatment of its minority Uighurs “a great cause of shame for humanity”. Foreign Ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy said it’s “no longer a secret” that China has arbitrarily detained more than a million Uighurs in “concentration camps.” He said the Turkic Muslim population faced pressure and “systematic assimilation” in western China. Turkey’s call for China to close its detention camps follows the reported death of Abdurehim Heyit, a renowned Uighur musician. He is thought to have been serving an eight-year sentence. Aksoy said Turkey has shared with China its position on “all levels” and urged authorities to close the detention facilities and respect human rights. China has intensified a security crackdown on Uighurs that was put in place after a bloody 2009 riot. Droves of Uighurs have fled, many travelling to Turkey.