By Riyaz ul Khaliq
ISTANBUL (AA) - Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan Wednesday visited Urumqi, the capital of China’s northwestern Xinjiang province.
Fidan visited Yanghang Mosque and International Grand Bazaar in Urumqi, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement on X.
Xinjiang is home to ethnic Uyghur people, who are mostly Muslims.
The tour of Urumqi is part of a three-day official trip to China by Fidan and his delegation.
He is expected to visit Kashgar city in the province as well.
Addressing a news conference with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing on Tuesday, Fidan noted the importance of Kashgar and Urumqi cities, emphasizing their role in the Sino-Turkish and Sino-Islamic world.
He said that Kashgar and Urumqi are two ancient Turkic Islamic cities that contributed to China's cultural richness.
The Turkish foreign minister also met with Chinese Vice-President Han Zheng.
Fidan's visit to the Xinjiang province is the highest-level visit from Türkiye since President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, then-prime minister, visited the region in April 2012.
In recent times, Türkiye has taken steps to strengthen its relations with all regions of China.
In this context, Ankara reinforced its diplomatic presence in China by opening the Chengdu Consulate General last year, in addition to its embassy in Beijing and consulates in Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Hong Kong.