Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Home Secretary, or any other minister, has signed a declaration of intention with the government of Turkey concerning security cooperation; and whether any such declaration protects innocent persons against deportation or asset freezing.

The Home Secretary signed a letter of intent with the Turkish Minister of the Interior, Süleyman Soylu, on 15 May. The letter agreed to take concrete steps towards measures that will formalise information sharing on a range of Home Office issues. It also reaffirmed our commitment to deepen co-operation between the Home Office and the Turkish Ministry of the Interior.

This commitment means that we will look at how our police, border, customs and coastguard agencies can share information more easily in order to tackle the terrorists and organised criminals involved in money laundering, drug smuggling and people and arms trafficking.

In terms of deportation or asset freezing, an investigation or any legal or administrative action is only taken where there is evidence of criminal wrongdoing in the UK.