Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Turkish counterpart on the safety and freedom of speech of political dissidents.

I and UK Ministers have frequent discussions with our Turkish counterparts on the issue of fundamental rights, including freedom of expression. We will continue to engage the Turkish government on this issue and urge respect for freedom of media and speech, which is essential to the long-term health of Turkish democracy.