Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the government of Turkey about the future status of the Kurds in Northern Syria.

We maintain a regular dialogue with the Turkish government on developments in Syria, including on the status of the Kurds in northern Syria. Turkey shares our concern about the present situation in Kobane and has made clear their commitment to support international efforts to tackle the threat posed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

We applaud Turkey’s generosity in hosting over 190,000 refugees who have fled the fighting in Kobane, in addition to the 1.5 million refugees from Syria and Iraq already residing in Turkey. The Department for International Development has already responded to the urgent needs of Syrian Kurdish refugees who have fled to Turkey, and is ready to react swiftly to further developments.