Tensions between China and Turkey over Xinjiang have come into focus following an online dispute between Chinese and Turkish social media users over the identity of the Uyghur community and the region’s historical ties.
The debate began after a Turkish social media user shared an encounter with a Uyghur woman from Xinjiang, prompting discussions about ethnic identity, cultural heritage and the region’s historical connections.
Xinjiang, a vast region in northwestern China, is home to about 12 million Uyghurs and members of other communities. Many Uyghurs are Turkic-speaking Muslims, and their linguistic, cultural and historical links have long drawn interest in Turkey.
How the Xinjiang dispute began
According to the South China Morning Post, the controversy started earlier this month when a Turkish social media user shared an account of meeting a Uyghur woman from Xinjiang.
The user remarked that she did not look Chinese. When another user asked whether he considered himself Turkish, he replied, ‘No, I’m Chinese.’
The Turkish user then told him to return to his origins. By Friday afternoon, the post had received more than two million views. The social media account involved was subsequently deleted.
The discussion soon expanded beyond the original post, with Chinese and Turkish users debating Uyghur identity and Xinjiang’s historical connections. Users on both sides turned to artificial intelligence-based translation tools to overcome language barriers, helping the debate gain traction.
What is Turkey’s connection to Xinjiang?
At the centre of the dispute is the term ‘Turkistan’, which has historically been used to describe parts of Central Asia inhabited by Turkic-speaking communities. Historical interpretations of the term and the geographical areas it covers vary.
The debate has also been fuelled by the use of ‘Turkistan’ instead of ‘Central Asia’ in new Turkish textbooks. The areas described in the books include parts of Xinjiang and neighbouring Chinese provinces such as Gansu and Qinghai.
However, cultural and historical links with Turkic communities are distinct from claims of formal sovereignty over a territory. The current controversy centres largely on historical identity, regional terminology and cultural connections.
China regards interpretations that challenge its territorial claims and official historical narrative as problematic. Beijing maintains that linguistic or cultural similarities do not provide grounds for incorporating territory into another country.
Why the issue matters to China-Turkey relations
The Uyghur community has long been a sensitive issue in relations between China and Turkey. Thousands of Uyghurs live in Turkey, which has become an important destination for members of the community outside Central Asia.
Turkey has repeatedly criticised China’s policies concerning the human rights of Uyghurs and other minority communities in Xinjiang. China, meanwhile, says its policies in the region are aimed at combating terrorism, separatism and religious extremism.
The dispute therefore extends beyond ethnic identity to encompass human rights, religious freedom, cultural heritage and China’s territorial sovereignty.
Cultural affinity and support for the Uyghur community in Turkey add to the sensitivity, while China opposes actions it considers interference in its internal affairs or challenges to its territorial integrity.
Despite these differences, China and Turkey have sought to strengthen their bilateral ties in recent years. Turkey is looking to expand trade and investment with China, while Beijing is also pursuing closer political and economic relations with Ankara.
In 2024, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan visited Xinjiang, where the two sides agreed to strengthen cooperation against terrorism.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also met at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Tianjin in 2025, emphasising the importance of political trust and respect for each other’s core interests.
The latest online dispute highlights the challenge both countries face in managing their differences over Xinjiang while maintaining broader political and economic cooperation.
