Activists are worried that China is using access to its coronavirus vaccine as a means to pressure Turkey into deporting Uyghur exiles back to the autonomous region of Xinjiang, where they face repression, possible forced labor and detention without trial.

Beijing recently ratified an extradition treaty with Turkey. Human rights groups say that the document could have devastating consequences for members of the country’s 50,000-strong Uyghur community. 

While the treaty has not yet been signed off by the Turkish government, critics worry it could lead to the forced return of Uyghurs to China. “If adopted by Turkey, the extradition treaty is likely to become another instrument of persecution for China, aiding the Chinese government in its coordinated efforts to forcibly return Uyghurs living abroad,” the Munich-based World Uyghur Congress said in a statement made in late December.

Originally promised in December, the delivery of the CoronaVac vaccine to Turkish authorities was delayed by two weeks, reportedly owing to customs issues.