A group of organizations issued a statement on Turkey's crackdown on Chinese spies

On February 20, in the arresting operation carried out by the Istanbul General Prosecutor's Office for Investigation of Terrorism and Organized Crime, six people were arrested in Istanbul at the same time for collecting information about East Turkistan people, East Turkistan societies and organizations living in Turkey, and sending it to Chinese intelligence officials based on the information provided by the Turkish Intelligence Organization.

The Chinese spies for whom arrest warrants have been issued are seven people in total. Six of the seven people were arrested in the arrest operation, and the search for the other person is ongoing.

In this regard, the International Union of East Turkistan Organizations operating in Turkey has issued a statement on this matter. The statement said:

As it turns out, on February 20, 2024, Turkey's leading intelligence agencies reported that the Turkish Intelligence Service had identified seven people who had been spying on East Turkistan organizations and important individuals for China. Although the identities, names and crimes of those arrested have not yet been announced, this action by the Turkish security agencies is a strong and clear blow against the espionage activities that China has been conducting in Turkey for many years and has increased in the last year.

Although the specific verdict on the detainees depends on the investigation and interrogation by the police and legal authorities, our unity commends the Turkish state authorities for cracking down on such espionage activities, which are seriously threatening the security of organizations and individuals operating in Turkey and harming the cause of East Turkistan. We affirm that it is a worthy state attitude. We also believe that the people of East Turkistan agree with us on this point.

It is clear that the number of people in all parts of the world, especially in Turkey, where the majority of East Turkistan expatriates live, is spying on the instructions of Chinese intelligence agencies, creating conflicts and contradictions in our society, trying to hide the East Turkistan issue, misrepresenting it, and affecting the social harmony and unity of our people is not limited to seven. . We demand that the Turkish intelligence agencies and police agencies conduct stronger investigations, purge and punish spies.

We also request that the Chinese police and intelligence officials in Turkey who are leading, directing and managing these espionage activities, Chinese diplomats involved in espionage activities, related Chinese companies, operators, media organizations and other organizations should be investigated and neutralized accordingly.

We ask that the so-called political parties and news organizations that are acting on the basis of the interests of the East Turkistan people in Turkey, and acting purposefully to slander the East Turkistan expatriate community and organizations in Turkey and obstruct the East Turkistan cause, should also be investigated.

In the end, it can be seen from this incident that East Turkistan is doing its duty to ensure the safety and security of political activities and political figures in Turkey and the peace of the East Turkistan people in Turkey. This move is a strong warning to stop harassment, accusations and threats against China in East Turkistan cases, organizations and individuals.

In the name of our unity, we will convey the attitude and demands of our people in this regard to the relevant institutions of Turkey, and we call on the Turkish government and security agencies to take more steps to stop espionage activities in China and Turkey.