China shuts down its consulate in İzmir amid Uighur row

Chinese Embassy to Turkey has announced that the country's general-consulate in Izmir was closed as of Feb. 28 due to general arrangements with regard to consular activities. The move comes amid an ongoing row between Ankara and Beijing over the Uighur problem in which the former has harshly criticized Chinese government of assimilating the Muslim Turkic minority.
The announcement on the closure of the general-consulate, which exists since 2015, was made through a written statement posted on the website of the Embassy of China in Ankara on Feb. 28.
"The Chinese side has decided to temporarily shut down its Izmir General-Consulate as of Feb. 28, 2019 as part of general arrangements with regard to its embassies and consulates abroad," read the statement. It informed that the decision was made upon different parameters such as efficiency and to integrate its resources.
"The Chinese side has notified its decision to temporarily shut down its General Consulate in Izmir to the Turkish Government. The Turkish received this situation with understanding," it added.
It did not cite whether this decision was taken following Turkey's harsh criticisms against the Chinese government's policies with regard to Uighur Turks.
Ties between the two countries were strained after Turkey harshly slammed China over imposing restrictions on Uighur Turks in a written statement on Feb. 9 that said "It is no longer a secret that more than one million Uighur Turks incurring arbitrary arrests are subjected to torture and political brainwashing in internment camps and prisons. Uighurs who are not detained in these camps are under heavy pressure."
The embassy's statement highlighted the positive role the general-consulate played in developing ties between China and...