Abstract

In recent years, relations on all three fronts - economic, political, and social - have begun to swiftly advance between the People's Republic of China and the Republic of Turkey. The Turkish populace has a largely negative opinion of China notwithstanding these links. Uyghur issue remained one of the biggest reasons behind this situation. Therefore, this thesis will demonstrate the Turkish discourse about China in the context of Uyghurs and whether the discourse is coherent with actual relations between Turkey and China. The Uyghur issue remains a hindrance in the relationship between the two even though they have increased bilateral relations, the Uyghur issue still lingers between the two. Therefore, it is important to understand Uyghur's influence on the relations. The thesis uses discourse analysis methods to examine the main themes in the Turkish discourse towards China and Uyghurs. The thesis will present five categories identified in the discourse, the relations between these categories, and which political groups agree or disagree. The thesis will conclude with a discussion of whether Turkey–China relations are coherent with Turkish discourse towards China. The thesis will show that there is a negative view of China in Turkey due to the Uyghur issue even though the relations are improving. …víceméně