Their Turkic language is distant from Chinese.

Some Turks have a strong sense of shared cultural and religious heritage with the mainly Muslim Uighurs, who speak a Turkic language.

China worries that Uighurs, who speak a Turkic language, have gone to places like Afghanistan, Pakistan, Syria and Iraq to fight for militants.

Many Uighurs, who speak a Turkic language, chafe at restrictions on their culture and religion, though the Chinese government insists it grants them broad freedoms.

Military sources said a number of ethnic Uighur militants, who operate alongside Uzbeks and share a similar Turkic language with them, have also been killed.

Military sources said a number of ethnic Uighur militants, who operate alongside Uzbeks and share a similar Turkic language with them, had also been killed.

Eleven percent of the population speak Turkic languages, primarily Uzbek and Turkmen.