Turkey and the G-word

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan seems pretty quick to throw the g-word at China, considering his own country’s historical sensitivities: “The incidents in China are, simply put, a genocide. There’s no point in interpreting this otherwise,” Erdogan said. It’s not exactly that simple. There’s a case to be made that China’s suppression of the Uighurs ...

By , a former associate editor at Foreign Policy.
583645_090714_erdogan2.jpg
583645_090714_erdogan2.jpg
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan discusses "Global Economic Engagement, Turkey as an Emerging Market Economy and Turkey-US Strategic Partnership" November 14, 2008 at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. World leaders are converging on Washington for an emergency G20 Financial Crisis Summit. AFP PHOTO / TIM SLOAN (Photo credit should read TIM SLOAN/AFP/Getty Images)

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan seems pretty quick to throw the g-word at China, considering his own country's historical sensitivities:

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan seems pretty quick to throw the g-word at China, considering his own country’s historical sensitivities:

“The incidents in China are, simply put, a genocide. There’s no point in interpreting this otherwise,” Erdogan said.

It’s not exactly that simple. There’s a case to be made that China’s suppression of the Uighurs combined with it’s efforts to build the Han population in Xinjiang constitute genocide under the 1948 convention, which includes “Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part” as part of the definition. But this is a pretty broad interpretation, especially considering that the local Han population has been suffering attacks as well. 

It’s also surprising to see a Turkish president so willing to use the word genocide this freely. Turkey has charged quite a few people over the years — including the country’s most famous author — with insulting Turkishness for saying similar things about the massacre of Armenians after World War I or the killing of Kurds in more recent years. Erdogan himself has attacked proposals that Turkey apologize for historical wrongdoings.

Is this really a conversation he wants to start?

TIM SLOAN/AFP/Getty Images

Joshua Keating was an associate editor at Foreign Policy. Twitter: @joshuakeating

More from Foreign Policy

Newspapers in Tehran feature on their front page news about the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, signed in Beijing the previous day, on March, 11 2023.
Newspapers in Tehran feature on their front page news about the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, signed in Beijing the previous day, on March, 11 2023.

Saudi-Iranian Détente Is a Wake-Up Call for America

The peace plan is a big deal—and it’s no accident that China brokered it.

Austin and Gallant stand at podiums side by side next to each others' national flags.
Austin and Gallant stand at podiums side by side next to each others' national flags.

The U.S.-Israel Relationship No Longer Makes Sense

If Israel and its supporters want the country to continue receiving U.S. largesse, they will need to come up with a new narrative.

Russian President Vladimir Putin lays flowers at the Moscow Kremlin Wall in the Alexander Garden during an event marking Defender of the Fatherland Day in Moscow.
Russian President Vladimir Putin lays flowers at the Moscow Kremlin Wall in the Alexander Garden during an event marking Defender of the Fatherland Day in Moscow.

Putin Is Trapped in the Sunk-Cost Fallacy of War

Moscow is grasping for meaning in a meaningless invasion.

An Iranian man holds a newspaper reporting the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, in Tehran on March 11.
An Iranian man holds a newspaper reporting the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, in Tehran on March 11.

How China’s Saudi-Iran Deal Can Serve U.S. Interests

And why there’s less to Beijing’s diplomatic breakthrough than meets the eye.