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No refuge for terrorists, says Turkey

By Li Xiaokun (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-06-26 08:09

Turkish president Abdullah Gul yesterday vowed not to let terrorist groups find refuge on Turkish soil, clarifying Ankara's stance on Turkish-speaking groups that fled Xinjiang bound for his country.

President Hu Jintao shakes hands with visiting Turkish President Abdullah Gul in Beijing, June 25, 2009. [Xinhua]

Gul made the remarks during an hour-long talk with President Hu Jintao at the Great Hall of the People.

It was his first visit to China since coming to office in 2007.

"Gul said Turkey is resolutely against terrorism, does not allow any terrorist organization in Turkey and would like to strengthen anti-terror cooperation with China," said a press release issued by the Foreign Ministry after the meeting. "He reiterated that Turkey resolutely adheres to the one-China policy."

In the northwestern autonomous region of Xinjiang - which is home to almost 11 million people from ethnic minorities, including Uygurs, Mongolians and Huis - some Turkish-speaking Uygur separatist groups have called for a theocratic "East Turkistan Islamic State".

The organizations have resorted to terrorism and some perpetrators are believed to have fled to Turkey.

On Aug 4, 2008, four days before the start of the Beijing Olympics, an attack took the lives of 17 people and injured 15 in Kashgar, Xinjiang.

Six days later, explosions in supermarkets, hotels and government buildings rocked the region's Kuqa county, killing two and injuring five.

This year, the East Turkistan Islamic Movement, one of the major terrorist groups in the region, warned of attacks in Beijing and neighboring regions around the nation's 60th anniversary on Oct 1.

China's President Hu Jintao (R) shows the way to Turkey's President Abdullah Gul during an official welcoming ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing June 25, 2009. [Agencies]

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"This is possibly the first time for a Turkish leader to make such a clear statement on terrorist movements here and, of course, China welcomes that. It will warn terrorists who intend to flee to Turkey," said Yang Shu, head of the Institute of Central Asia studies with Lanzhou University. His university is based in Gansu province, which borders Xinjiang.

"But Gul's remarks cannot be translated to mean the Turkish government will oppose separatists from Xinjiang because many of these separatists don't resort to terrorist moves and hence can live there legally."

The Foreign Ministry press release said Hu suggested the two nations perfect their dialogue mechanism on security issues and take "more forceful" measures to combat terrorism, separatism, extremism, and trans-state organized crime.

The presidents yesterday also officiated at the signing ceremony of a series of cooperation documents, including a memorandum of understanding on energy cooperation.

The Export-Import Bank of China also signed a $500 million framework agreement on a line of credit to help finance Turk Telecom. The lender also reached agreements with two Turkish banks, each worth $100 million.

The Turkish Daily Referans reported before the visit that Gul's trip was aimed at strengthening the image of Turkish products and its market in China.