Turkey & China Forge Closer Ties

To begin with, it bears noting that for those who follow Turkish politics and Turkey-China relations closely, the development is not surprising at all. Erdogan's remarks last year notwithstanding, ties between the two countries have been deepening since former Chinese President Jiang Zemin's visit to Turkey in April 2000 opened a new chapter in bilateral relations. At that time, the two countries signed several agreements in the field of political, economic, and energy cooperation, and made a joint statement regarding the fight against international terrorism, ethnic separatism, and religious extremism. Since then, Turkey has never officially supported the Uighur separatist movement, which has historically been the main obstacle in Turkey-China relations.