Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have discussed with the government of Turkey the welfare of Kurds and the damage to historic mosques and Armenian churches in the city of Diyarbakir in south-eastern Turkey.

The ongoing violence in the city of Diyarbakir and other predominantly Kurdish areas of south east Turkey is extremely concerning. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), and our ambassador in Ankara have emphasised to the Turkish government the need to respect human rights, avoid civilian casualties and return to the peace process. We have not specifically discussed the damage to historic mosques and Armenian churches in the city of Diyarbakir.