Archive · 5 Nov 2025
Turkiye's Uyghur Resettlement Proposal Aligns with China's Ethnic Cleansing Aims, Critics Say
Imagine a group of people called Uyghurs live in a place called East Turkistan, which is controlled by China.
Some people in Turkiye are talking about bringing many Uyghurs to Turkiye to live there.
Some people are worried this plan, if it happens, would actually help China get rid of the Uyghur culture and people in their homeland.
They say Turkiye used to be a friend to the Uyghurs but is now making deals with China that might hurt them.
Others in Turkiye suggest bringing Uyghurs could help their own country because they need more people and workers.
But the Uyghur leaders in exile say this would be like a betrayal, making it easier for China to change who lives in East Turkistan forever.
Turkiye's government has said there is no agreement for such a big move, but some new rules and discussions in the country make people nervous.
A proposal by a Turkish academic to "import Uyghur Turks" to offset demographic decline has sparked controversy.
The East Turkistan Government in Exile (ETGE) condemns the idea, labeling it as ethnic cleansing that aids China's policies.
Critics point to a long-standing pattern of Turkiye prioritizing strategic ties with China over Uyghur rights.
Turkish media and pro-government accounts have discussed resettling millions of Uyghurs, citing humanitarian and economic benefits.
The Turkish Presidential Communications Directorate has denied an agreement for mass Uyghur resettlement, despite subsequent regulatory changes and public discussions.
- Who
- Professor Erhan Afyoncu, rector of Turkiye's National Defense University; historian İlber Ortaylı; East Turkistan Government in Exile (ETGE); Turkish Agricultural Minister Ibrahim Yumaklı; Turkish Presidential Communications Directorate; Chinese President Xi Jinping
- What
- Proposals and discussions in Turkiye regarding the resettlement of Uyghur Turks from East Turkistan to Turkiye, framed by critics as aiding China's ethnic cleansing and by some proponents as addressing demographic decline and labor shortages.
- When
- Discussions intensified around February 8, 2025, with related media activities and official statements following Erdoğan's meeting with Xi Jinping at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit. Presidential Order No. 10476 was issued after this summit.
- Where
- Turkiye, East Turkistan (Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region), China
- Why
- The proposals are reportedly driven by Turkiye's demographic decline and labor needs, as well as a decades-long strategic and economic alignment between Turkiye and China. Critics argue this serves to facilitate China's campaign of ethnic cleansing in East Turkistan.
East Turkistan Government in Exile (ETGE) and Critics
Proponents of Resettlement/Turkish Government Stance
Resettlement as Ethnic Cleansing
East Turkistan Government in Exile (ETGE) and Critics
The proposed mass resettlement of Uyghurs to Turkiye would constitute ethnic cleansing, uprooting a people from their homeland and enabling China to consolidate control over East Turkistan.
Proponents of Resettlement/Turkish Government Stance
The proposal is framed as a way to offset Turkiye's domestic demographic decline and alleviate labor shortages, with the Turkish Presidential Communications Directorate denying any agreement for mass resettlement.
Turkiye's Historical Role
East Turkistan Government in Exile (ETGE) and Critics
Turkiye's historical role as a haven for Uyghur refugees and a leader of the Turkic world is being betrayed by its complicity with Beijing's policies for economic and political gains.
Proponents of Resettlement/Turkish Government Stance
Decades of strategic, economic, and political ties with China have led to proposals like resettlement, seen by some as a pragmatic approach to demographic challenges.
Motivation for Resettlement
East Turkistan Government in Exile (ETGE) and Critics
Resettlement rhetoric risks becoming a euphemism for China’s ethnic cleansing of Uyghurs, a deliberate demographic transformation to erase Uyghur presence and facilitate Chinese expansion.
Proponents of Resettlement/Turkish Government Stance
The idea is presented by some as a humanitarian migration plan to address labor shortages and by others as a way to fill depopulated areas with hardworking farmers from the Uyghur region.
- Proposed Resettlement Scale
- 3 to 5 million Uyghurs
- China's Occupation of East Turkistan
- October 12, 1949
- Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps Established
- 1954
- East Turkistan Rebranded
- Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, 1955
- Turkiye's Policy Alignment with China
- Since 1996 (CCP Document No. 7)
- Proposed Date for "Importing Uyghur Turks"
- February 8, 2025
- Presidential Order on Foreigner Professions
- No. 10476, issued after Erdoğan's meeting with Xi Jinping