China is increasing its media and propaganda presence in Türkiye, a country home to a large Uyghur diaspora and closely connected to Uyghur history, language and culture. According to Reporters Without Borders, Beijing’s growing influence in the Turkish information space is being used to promote narratives that minimise or deny abuses against Uyghurs in East Turkestan, which the Chinese government calls Xinjiang.
This campaign is not only about improving China’s international image. It is also about weakening the credibility of Uyghur survivors, activists, journalists and community organisations that speak about repression. When official Chinese narratives become more common in Turkish media, Uyghur testimony risks being pushed out of public discussion.
For Uyghurs, this is deeply troubling. Türkiye has long been one of the most important countries for Uyghur political and cultural activity outside China. If Beijing succeeds in shaping how Turkish audiences understand the Uyghur issue, it could reduce public sympathy and isolate the community from the society that has traditionally offered it support.
Rewriting the story of East Turkestan
Reporters Without Borders said the Turkish information environment is increasingly filled with narratives that “whitewash” abuses in East Turkestan. These narratives often present China’s policies as development, stability or counterterrorism while ignoring the experiences of Uyghur families.
The Chinese government denies allegations of mass detention, forced labour, religious persecution and cultural erasure. It says its policies are necessary to fight extremism and promote economic development. However, the UN human-rights office has said that serious violations against Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim groups may constitute international crimes, including crimes against humanity.
A media campaign that repeats only Beijing’s explanation leaves no space for survivors. It can make detention facilities appear as schools, forced labour as employment and cultural assimilation as national unity.
Why Uyghur voices are being targeted
Uyghur activists in Türkiye have spent years documenting the disappearance of relatives, restrictions on religious practice and the destruction of language and culture. Their testimony directly challenges China’s official narrative.
That is why silencing Uyghur voices is so important to Beijing. If Uyghur journalists and activists are dismissed as separatists or extremists, the public may stop listening to their evidence. If Turkish media gives greater attention to official Chinese delegations than to Uyghur victims, the balance of information becomes distorted.
RSF has previously documented the wider persecution of Uyghur journalists. It reported that Chinese authorities detained relatives of journalists working for Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur-language service. In another case, RSF described how Chinese authorities used vague accusations such as being “two-faced” to target Uyghur journalists and control local media.
The pressure therefore operates on two levels: censorship inside East Turkestan and propaganda abroad.
The role of Turkish media
The concern is not that every Turkish journalist who engages with China is acting in bad faith. Journalists should be free to report on China, visit the country and question all sides. The problem arises when access is controlled and visits are organised to show only locations approved by Chinese authorities.
Earlier reporting described Turkish journalists visiting East Turkestan on trips facilitated by Chinese diplomatic and business networks. After returning, some appeared on Turkish television and dismissed allegations of genocide against Uyghurs.
Such coverage can create a false impression that independent investigations have disproved Uyghur testimony. In reality, carefully managed visits rarely allow journalists to speak privately with former detainees, families of prisoners or people whose relatives have disappeared.
Propaganda and transnational repression
China’s media influence also works alongside pressure on Uyghurs living in Türkiye. Researchers have reported that Chinese authorities contacted Uyghurs directly or through relatives in East Turkestan, demanding information about activists and community organisations.
The BBC has reported that Uyghurs abroad were threatened through their families and pressured to monitor other human-rights campaigners. When Uyghurs fear that public activism could harm their relatives, propaganda becomes more powerful because people begin censoring themselves.
An activist may stop speaking at a public event. A community member may avoid appearing with a campaigner. A journalist may hesitate before publishing a testimony. This is how transnational repression damages a community without requiring arrests in Türkiye.
Protecting the Uyghur information space
Türkiye should defend independent journalism and ensure that foreign governments cannot manipulate public debate through undisclosed influence networks. Media organisations should clearly identify sponsored visits, political affiliations and official sources.
Turkish journalists should also seek a genuine range of voices, including Uyghur survivors, researchers, lawyers and human-rights organisations. Reporting on China should not depend exclusively on Chinese embassy statements or organised tours.
The Uyghur community in Türkiye deserves the freedom to speak about its own experience. Beijing should not be allowed to control the story of Uyghurs both inside and outside East Turkestan.
Propaganda may make repression less visible, but it cannot erase the evidence. The responsibility of journalists, governments and the public is to keep Uyghur voices present, independent and impossible to silence.