Between Values and Interests: Turkey’s Response to China’s Soft Power and the Uyghur Issue

Öz

Recent data from the Turkish Foreign Policy Public Perceptions Survey conducted by Kadir Has University reveals a notable improvement in China's image among the Turkish public. Despite heightened international scrutiny regarding China's human rights abuses against Uyghur minorities, an increasing proportion of Turks now identify China as a friendly nation rather than a threat and support enhanced bilateral cooperation. Given Turkey’s historically strong nationalist sentiment and the strong ethnic and religious ties between the Turkish people and Uyghurs, this positive shift in perception is particularly counterintuitive. This paper seeks to explain this puzzle by examining three interconnected factors: China's substantial global and domestic investments in soft power, the deterioration of Turkey's relationships with Western allies (notably Europe and the United States), and recent domestic developments in Turkey, including political centralization and economic instability, fostering increased reliance on Chinese investments and thereby reducing public and governmental criticism of China's domestic policies..

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Soft Power
• China’s Soft Power
• China-Turkey Relations.

Değerler ve Çıkarlar Arasında: Türkiye'nin Çin'in Yumuşak Gücüne ve Uygur Sorununa Tepkisi

Öz

Kadir Has Üniversitesi tarafından gerçekleştirilen Türk Dış Politikası Kamuoyu Algıları Araştırması’nın son verileri, Türk kamuoyunda Çin’e yönelik algının belirgin biçimde iyileştiğini ortaya koymaktadır. Çin’in Uygur Türklerine yönelik insan hakları ihlallerine dair uluslararası kamuoyunda artan eleştirilere rağmen, Türkiye’de giderek daha fazla kişi Çin’i bir tehditten ziyade dost ülke olarak tanımlamakta ve ikili iş birliğinin artırılmasını desteklemektedir. Türkiye’nin tarihsel olarak güçlü milliyetçi bir toplumsal yapıya sahip olması ve Türk halkı ile Uygurlar arasındaki etnik ve dini bağlar düşünüldüğünde, bu olumlu algı değişimi özellikle dikkat çekicidir. Bu makale, söz konusu olguyu üç birbiriyle bağlantılı faktör üzerinden açıklamayı amaçlamaktadır: Çin’in küresel ve yerel düzeyde yürüttüğü yoğun yumuşak güç yatırımları, Türkiye’nin Batılı müttefikleriyle ilişkilerinde yaşanan bozulma ve son yıllarda siyasi merkezileşme ile ekonomik istikrarsızlık gibi iç gelişmelerin Türkiye’nin Çin sermayesine olan bağımlılığını artırarak, Çin’in iç politikalarına yönelik kamuoyu ve hükümet eleştirilerini sınırlayan bir ortam yaratması.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Yumusak guc
• Cin'in yumusak gucu
• Cin-Turkiye iliskileri

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