Asked by: Lord Morris of Aberavon (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the number of Turkish citizens likely to seek to relocate to other member states of the EU if Turkey becomes a member state.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
No worthwhile assessment could be made ahead of much greater clarity both about the potential timescale for Turkish accession and the rules that would apply to freedom of movement of people at that time.
Turkish accession is not in prospect for many years. Since the EU agreed to begin negotiations in 2004, Turkey has concluded one of the 35 chapters of the negotiations.
All decisions about the accession of a new member to the EU require the unanimous agreement of all existing members. In addition, any accession to the EU would under the EU Act 2011 need to be ratified by Act of Parliament. The Government’s policy is not to agree to a new member joining the EU until arrangements have been put in place to ensure that further enlargement does not lead to a large-scale movement of people.
Asked by: Lord Morris of Aberavon (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Turkey about human rights following the government takeover of a major Turkish newspaper.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
We continue to monitor specific human rights cases and regularly underline the importance of freedom of expression and all fundamental freedoms as part of our broader dialogue with the Turkish government. We welcomed the EU Commission’s Annual Progress Report on Turkey, released on 10 November 2015, which highlighted the need for further reforms from Turkey in those areas. As a friend and ally, we urge the Turkish government to uphold the right of media to operate without restriction. The Prime Minister, my Rt Hon Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), did so on 7 March when he met Turkey’s Prime Minister, Ahmet Davutoğlu, and underlined the importance of protections for a free press and human rights in Turkey. The Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), and the Minister for Europe, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Aylesbury (Mr Lidington), reiterated these messages in their meetings on 12 March with the Turkish Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister respectively.Asked by: Lord Morris of Aberavon (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had in the Security Council and other UN organisations about the involvement of British troops in Syria.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
There have been no discussions in the Security Council or UN fora about the involvement of British troops in the ongoing Syria conflict.