Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterparts in (a) the United States and (b) Turkey on the recent decision by the US Administration to provide arms to Kurdish members of the YPG militia in Syria.

The decision to provide arms is a matter for the US government. I discuss the situation in Syria in almost every conversation I have with my US and Turkish counterparts. Turkey is a close partner and has made a significant contribution to addressing the crisis in Syria; we recognise their legitimate security interests. The Syrian Democratic Forces, comprised of Arab fighters as well as Kurdish YPG, continue to make an important contribution to the fight against Daesh, particularly in the city of Raqqa, which is now approaching liberation.