The downward trend in Turkish-Chinese relations

Source:Hurriyet Daily News Date:12Mar2019

I felt compelled to add this article to my favorites list, because Chinese authorities detained 4 Turkish businesmen yesterday, triggering an exodus of dozens, Hurriyet also reported. Turkey has very little to lose from Chinese emnity,  since it runs a huge deficit and has negligible FDI in the country.   Has  Turkey lost faith in Chinese  financing?  Or is is the advocacy of Uighurs an election ploy?

The activities of the foreign jihadist fighters of Uighur origin in Syria have been a continuous source of concern for the Chinese.

But there have been other factors poisoning relations. Turkey’s decision in 2015 to cancel a $3.4 billion tender provisionally awarded to China to develop a long-range missile defense system has probably left a bitter mark on the Chinese.

China’s “one belt one road” initiative could have provided a framework for the two capitals to develop relations. Yet despite being in economic difficulties and in serious search for alternative credits, Turkey could not find in China a healthy creditor. On the contrary, China’s investment model abroad, recently being named as a “debt trap,” based on providing funding in return for access to the country’s strategic assets, did not suit Turkey at all.