Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his Turkish counterpart on Turkish military operations around Afrin in northern Syria and the loss of civilian lives.

​The Foreign Secretary has been in regular contact with Turkish Foreign Minister Çavuşoğlu about the situation in Afrin. We have urged Turkey to avoid any escalation in violence and stressed the need to protect civilians and avoid casualties. We have also stressed the importance of ensuring that humanitarian assistance can reach the area. Turkey has legitimate security concerns, and we recognise its interest in the protection of its borders. It remains in our shared interest to focus on achieving a political settlement that ends the war and suffering, and provides stability for all Syrians and the wider region.