Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to the Government in Turkey on ending the attacks on the Christian community in Syria.

​We are closely following developments in Afrin in north-western Syria, and the Foreign Secretary and other Ministers are in regular contact with their Turkish counterparts. We have called for the protection of civilians. While recognising Turkey's legitimate interest in the security of its borders, it remains in our shared interest to focus on achieving a political settlement that ends the war in Syria, provides stability for all Syrians and the wider region, and secures the enduring defeat of Daesh. We have urged the Turkish government to use the current pause in operations to allow for delivery of humanitarian aid, in line with UNSCR 2401 and in accordance with applicable international law.