Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with representatives from the Turkish government on Turkey’s alleged use of antiterrorism laws to persecute people who dissent in that country.

We are aware of allegations that Turkey has used anti-terror legislation to silence critics of the state. In our regular engagement, we encourage Turkey to ensure that all charges are dealt with in a fair, proportionate and transparent manner. We consistently encourage Turkey to uphold human rights and to live up to its international obligations as a member state of the Council of Europe.