Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations he has made to his Turkish counterpart on the arrest of Ekrem Imamoglu.

As a close friend and ally of Turkey, the Government is closely monitoring the situation following the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu and protests. Ekrem Imamoğlu is subject to an ongoing domestic Turkish legal process. The UK expects Turkey to uphold its international commitments and the rule of law, including through ensuring a swift and transparent judicial process. The Government has been engaging with the Turkish Government and the Foreign Secretary spoke with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on 29 March and raised our expectation that Turkey upholds its international commitments and the rule of law, and that it protects the fundamental rights to free speech, peaceful assembly, and media freedom. I have also raised these matters with counterparts. The UK is a staunch supporter of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law across the world and will always support these fundamental rights.