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 United States counterpart on the Turkish operation in Afrin.

The Foreign Secretary regularly speaks to US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, including on the subject of Syria. We have been clear that we recognise Turkey's legitimate interest in the security of its borders. We have urged them to avoid any escalation in violence and to seek to protect civilians. 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.