Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Turkey about (1) the conditions of Abdullah Öcalan's imprisonment, and (2) the number of hunger strikes in other Turkish prisons.

We encouraged the Turkish authorities to release the reports of the Council of Europe's Committee for the Prevention of Torture following their visit in 2016 to Imrali island where Abdullah Ocalan is being held. The Turkish government did so, along with their official response, in March 2018. Our Embassy in Ankara maintains regular contact with the People's Democratic Party (HDP) on a range of issues, including with respect to their support for improved prison conditions for Mr Ocalan. In request of hunger strikers in other prisons, we expect Turkey to meet their international commitments in relation to detention conditions, including providing access to appropriate medical treatment. We will continue to engage with the Turkish government on these issues.