Nury Turkel

11/24/2025

I’m pleased to share my new op-ed in The Wall Street Journal, where I analyze a major shift in global cybersecurity: the first large-scale cyberattack carried out mostly by artificial intelligence.

This incident shows how quickly AI can be repurposed for offensive operations—and why our government, companies, and allies must adapt faster.

This is no longer a future threat. It’s here.

With basic tech and little human oversight, Chinese spies apparently exploited Anthropic’s Claude Code.

11/07/2025

Today marks the end of an era.

Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi has announced her retirement — and I want to share what she means to me personally.

Nearly 30 years ago, I first heard her name from my immigration lawyer, who arranged a meeting with the district director in San Francisco.

My first time meeting her in person was in June 2004, in front of the Chinese Embassy, where she stood in solidarity at the commemoration of the 1989 Tiananmen Square democracy movement.

Years later, I received a call from her office — informing me of her intention to appoint me to a government role advancing human rights and religious freedom.

She wanted to build bipartisan support for the Uyghur people and help disrupt the atrocities committed by the Chinese Communist Party.

In May 2020, she appointed me to the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) — and reappointed me in May 2022.

I became the first American of Uyghur descent to hold such a political appointment, serving two two-year terms — as Vice Chair and later Chair.

🎥 You can see Speaker Pelosi announcing my appointment on the House floor here: https://youtu.be/2fL6JX3oKeQ?si=5CobNvPgaSvv5tf2

She also championed the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act, the first Uyghur-related bill ever brought to a vote, and spearheaded the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, originally sponsored by Senator Marco Rubio — landmark legislation against forced labor and genocide.

From Tiananmen to Tibet, Hong Kong to Taiwan, she has stood fearlessly for freedom and human rights.

And on a personal level — my mother’s miraculous arrival in America last Thanksgiving, ending 20 years of enforced family separation, would not have happened without her personal advocacy and support.

Serving as her appointee was one of the greatest honors of my life.

Thank you, Madam Speaker, for your courage, compassion, and unwavering commitment to justice.

Your legacy will continue to inspire generations. 💛

09/04/2025

Uyghur American lawyer Nury Turkel reveals how China is committing genocide against the Uyghurs. He is the author of No Escape: The True Story of China’s Gen...

08/30/2025

A refined approach can keep democracy in the lead.

06/06/2025

As the European Union seeks to hedge against an unpredictable Washington, it should avoid turning toward Beijing, argue Heidi Crebo-Rediker and Liana Fix. China still poses economic and security threats to Europe—and “the EU still doesn’t have a China card to play.”
https://fam.ag/3Hu9IZV

05/13/2025

Without independent voices like Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur service, the world risks losing visibility into the repression happening in the Uyghur homeland. RSF warns that silencing them could turn China into a complete information black hole.

Read more about the growing threat to press freedom: https://rsf.org/en/radio-free-asia-s-uyghur-service-danger-without-rfa-china-will-truly-become-black-hole-information

Gulchehra Hoja

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is alarmed by the announcement that the Uyghur service of Radio Free Asia (RFA), the world’s only independent Uyghur-language news service, will close at the end of May due to US President Donald Trump’s executive order to dismantle the United States Agency for Gl...

05/08/2025

My latest essay, just published in Foreign Policy, "U.S. AI Leadership Needs Smarter Controls"

In this essay, I examine why the now-scrapped AI Diffusion Rule—originally introduced earlier this year—posed risks to US competitiveness and allied trust. The US government has announced it will rescind the rule and go back to the drawing board.

💡 Why this matters for tech and chip companies:
✔️ Overly broad controls complicate legal compliance and alienate partners.
✔️ Tiered export frameworks (like the IFR) raise major enforceability concerns.
✔️ Smart export policy should balance national security with innovation and global trust.
✔️ A rule-of-law-based, multilateral approach is the only way to lead in the AI age.

This isn’t just about chips—it’s about strategy, credibility, and the global tech order.

📖 Read my full piece here: https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/05/07/us-china-ai-leadership-needs-controls-deepseek/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=dXMtY2hpbmEtYWktbGVhZGVyc2hpcC1uZWVkcy1jb250cm9scy1kZWVwc2Vlaw==&pid=PNI0rRapiqrs0iob

A refined approach can keep democracy in the lead.

04/19/2025

Rishat Abbas writes: If America lets the RFA Uyghur Service disappear, it risks abandoning an entire people and ceding the information war to a regime that thrives on lies.

04/17/2025

🆕 My new Op-Ed: Don’t Pull the Plug on America’s Soft Power

Decades ago, I first heard the Voice of America on a crackling shortwave radio in China. I had no formal English education. I learned through VOA’s “Special English” and “Talk to America.”

That signal wasn’t just news — it was freedom.

Today, that voice is in danger of going silent.

In my latest op-ed, I explain why dismantling US-funded broadcasters — Voice of America, Erkin Asiya Radiosi at Radio Free Asia, and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty — would be a strategic and moral mistake. These aren’t Cold War relics. They are lifelines for the silenced, censored, and oppressed.

🔑 Highlights from the piece:

These broadcasts helped shape my journey to America nearly 30 years ago.

Journalists at RFA and RFE/RL are risking everything to report the truth.

Their work helped lead to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act and U.S. recognition of China’s genocide.

These platforms remain among the most cost-effective, powerful tools for advancing human dignity and democratic values.

America doesn’t need to retreat — it needs to recommit. Not to tanks or troops, but to truth.

💬 Words I hope resonate:

“These services don’t just report the news. They offer hope — our sharpest weapon against repression.”

“We ask them to risk everything for truth. The least we can do is make sure their microphones stay on.”

“Don’t pull the plug — power it up. Because when America speaks clearly and boldly, the world listens.”

This isn’t a partisan issue. It’s a patriotic one.

📖 Read the full piece: https://thehill.com/opinion/international/5250438-u-s-funded-media-like-voice-of-america-must-be-saved-and-strengthened/

04/02/2025

Beijing isn’t just competing—it’s sprinting to dominate AI by 2030. Pleased to join Maria Bartiromo on Fox Business to break down my latest memo with Hudson Institute — and why America must act fast in the global tech race.

Here’s what’s at stake — and what we need to do:

--Close critical loopholes in export controls
--Invest boldly in AI & semiconductors
--Supercharge domestic innovation
--Forge a strong alliance with allies and like-minded tech partners
--Make export controls smart— not self-defeating

China’s DeepSeek AI isn’t just advanced — it’s authoritarian by design. This is about more than tech. It’s about values. Leadership. And the future of freedom.

📺 Watch the full interview: https://www.foxbusiness.com/video/6370583908112
📄 Read the memo: https://www.hudson.org/national-security-defense/ai-national-security-global-technology-race-how-us-export-controls-define-nury-turkel

03/24/2025

I’m pleased to share my latest policy memo published by Hudson Institute:

“AI, National Security, and the Global Technology Race: How US Export Controls Define the Future.”

As AI continues to reshape our world, the United States faces a critical challenge: how to stay ahead in the tech race while protecting national security and upholding democratic values.

The memo explores:

--The strategic role of export controls in the US national security

--China’s use of AI for surveillance and authoritarian control

--Why US semiconductor and AI leadership is vital

--The unintended global consequences of overregulation

--A framework for ethical, open, and democratic tech governance

"We must ensure that American technology remains accessible, avoiding the creation of insurmountable obstacles."

Read: https://www.hudson.org/national-security-defense/ai-national-security-global-technology-race-how-us-export-controls-define-nury-turkel

Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkCM1u7q6tE

View PDF President Donald Trump has called China’s DeepSeek artificial intelligence (AI) system a “wake-up call” for the American technology sector and emphasized the need for the United States to remain “laser-focused” on winning the AI race.

03/03/2025

Uyghur Abduweli Ayup argues that UNESCO, under pressure from China — a member of the U.N. Security Council — may have sought to limit his platform.