There is a long history of the connection between the
Turkish people and the Uyghurs. Both groups speak a
Turkic language and the two groups share significant ethnic and cultural bonds. Often Uyghurs who wished to migrate to Europe and the United States often choose Turkey as the transit point. Turkey has been concerned by the Uyghur situation, although it had been criticized for being helpless. Since the
Syrian Civil War, Uyghurs have participated in several jihadist battalion groups, some of which are believed to have connections with the Turkish government. Uyghurs in Turkey have partly contributed to them, notably the
Turkistan Islamic Party in Syria. In 2017,
Reuters reported that exiles and human rights groups stated that Uyghurs had escaped Chinese
human rights abuses by fleeing to Turkey. ==Demographics==