{"id":10090,"date":"2026-02-12T01:01:09","date_gmt":"2026-02-12T01:01:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/10090\/"},"modified":"2026-02-12T01:01:09","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T01:01:09","slug":"turkey-bars-prominent-uyghur-activist-from-entering-country-amid-chinese-pressure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/10090\/","title":{"rendered":"Turkey bars prominent Uyghur activist from entering country amid Chinese pressure"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Uyghur rights activist Dolkun Isa has said Turkish authorities prevented him from entering the country during a transit stop at Istanbul Airport, calling it a politically motivated measure linked to pressure from China.<\/p>\n

Isa, a German citizen and the current president of the Uyghur Center for Democracy and Human Rights as well as a former president of the World Uyghur Congress, said in posts on X on Tuesday that he was again barred from entering Turkey while passing through the airport.<\/p>\n

Bir kez daha \u0130stanbul Havaliman\u0131\u2019ndan ge\u00e7iyorum.
Ama bir T\u00fcrk olarak \u00fclkeye girmem yasak.
Pasaportum var, kimli\u011fim var, hakk\u0131m var \u2014
ama hukukum yok.
\u0130stanbul\u2019u sadece uzaktan seyretmeme izin veriliyor.
Bu bir g\u00fcvenlik meselesi de\u011fil, a\u00e7\u0131k bir siyasi cezad\u0131r ( sebeb: \u00c7in bask\u0131s\u0131) pic.twitter.com\/W2WdlbjbJp<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Dolkun Isa (@Dolkun_Isa) February 10, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cI am only allowed to see Istanbul from afar. This is not a security matter; it is an open political punishment,\u201d Isa wrote, attributing the restriction to pressure from China.<\/p>\n

Isa said he was allowed to remain in the transit area but could not pass through immigration. He also shared photographs showing himself at the airport with his luggage.<\/p>\n

Turkey\u2019s entry ban on Isa dates back to 2006. An INTERPOL Red Notice previously issued at China\u2019s request was withdrawn by the international organization on February 26, 2018, but the restriction has remained in place, and Isa said he was deported during a previous attempt to enter the country in 2021.<\/p>\n

Turkey has historically been a destination for Uyghur refugees, many of whom share linguistic and cultural ties with the country\u2019s Turkic heritage, but rights groups say Ankara\u2019s approach has become more cautious in recent years as economic and diplomatic ties with China have deepened.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Advocacy organizations, including Human Rights Watch, have reported cases in which some Uyghurs in Turkey faced detention, risks of deportation or difficulties obtaining legal status, prompting criticism that Turkey has at times prioritized relations with Beijing over its earlier image as a safe haven for Uyghurs.<\/p>\n

Isa is among the most internationally recognized advocates for Uyghur rights, and human rights organizations have previously criticized Turkey\u2019s refusal to admit him, saying the policy reflects Ankara\u2019s diplomatic balancing in its relations with Beijing.<\/p>\n