HL Deb 11 July 1996 vol 574 cc436-8

3.9 p.m.

Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:

What action they are taking through the European Union, the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the Council of Europe, NATO and the International Committee of the Red Cross to secure improvements in human rights and a peaceful resolution of internal conflict in Turkey.

Lord Chesham

My Lords, we continue to explore, with partners in international fora, the scope for encouraging more progress on human rights in Turkey and for helping to promote a peaceful resolution to the conflict in the south-east of Turkey. We also raise our concerns in regular bilateral contacts with the Turkish authorities.

Lord Hylton

My Lords, I thank the noble Lord for his reply. However, is it not quite unacceptable that each successive political party in Turkey which advocates a negotiated settlement of this conflict is disbanded by government action? At the same time the Red Cross is excluded from the country, while the other international bodies named in my Question stand by, almost turning a blind eye.

Lord Chesham

My Lords, I do not believe that a blind eye is being turned by those bodies. We are not allowing them to do so. We are raising the matter whenever we can. Some of the actions taken against political parties have been disappointing. I refer in particular to the recent arrest or prosecution of members of HADEP at their annual congress. As we understand it, no one has yet been charged in relation to the incident.

Lord Avebury

My Lords, is the Minister aware that in addition to the arrest of members of HADEP following the party congress, three of the delegates were murdered on their way back to their constituencies? Have the Government taken up specifically with the new authorities in Turkey under Mr. Erbakan the exclusion from Turkey of certain UK-based persons including Mr. Jonathan Sugden and Mr. Helmut Oberdiek of Amnesty, Ms. Pam O'Toole of the BBC and myself, and Miss Aliza Marcus, the former correspondent of Reuters?

Lord Chesham

My Lords, we are well aware of those situations. We totally condemn the murder of anyone going from one place to another, whether it be from a political meeting or any other occasion. We totally deplore such action. Until we have full details, and people are convicted, the Government should not comment further. We have frequently brought up the case of people who have been barred from visiting Turkey such as the noble Lord, Lord Avebury, himself. We intend to raise the matter again with the new government. We shall bring it up at every opportunity.

Lord Rea

My Lords, is the Minister aware that the PKK, the Kurdish armed body normally cast as the villain of the piece, whichever way you choose to spell it, has operated a unilateral ceasefire for the past three months and wishes to start negotiations with the Turkish Government without preconditions? Will the Government encourage the Turkish Government to take up that offer? Does he agree that, otherwise, this destructive war is likely to go on and on until the legitimate human rights of the Kurdish population of south-east Turkey are honoured?

Lord Chesham

My Lords, we rather question the credibility of any ceasefire declaration by the PKK, which has carried out dreadful terrorist acts that we unreservedly condemn. It is for the Turkish Government to decide how to respond rather than for us. As I have stated, we repeat as frequently as we can to the Turkish Government that we should like to see an improvement in human rights and peace in the whole of Turkey. We will continue whenever we can to raise these matters in international fora and on a bilateral basis.

The Earl of Lauderdale

My Lords, will my noble friend tell the House whether we receive from Turkey or other countries advice on how to settle the Irish problem?

Lord Chesham

My Lords, that is a very good point. Some people try to give us advice. Whether or not it is well received is another matter.

Lord Mackie of Benshie

My Lords, is the Minister aware that advice given from outside has been extremely helpful in the appalling conflict in Palestine between the Jewish state and the Arabs? I like the Turks, and I appreciate the facts on both sides. Does the Minister agree that if we took a positive stance instead of the negative response given to the noble Earl, our influence on Turkey might help in this conflict?

Lord Chesham

My Lords, I believe we take a very positive stance. We have not indicated in any way that we take a negative stance. Whenever we can we raise the issues about which noble Lords are so concerned.

Lord Clinton-Davis

My Lords, will the Minister take it from me that we on this side of the House do not regard the comments made by the noble Earl, Lord Lauderdale, as being in the slightest bit relevant? Indeed, they represented a serious breach of good taste.

Noble Lords

Oh!

Lord Clinton-Davis

Yes indeed, my Lords. Is the Minister aware that Turkey has made application for membership of the European Union? Will he give an undertaking that this Government will not begin to entertain that application while the current breaches of human rights persist? Does he believe that Turkey should be in receipt of aid from the European Union while the current position persists?

Lord Chesham

My Lords, we believe that the most effective way of helping progress on human rights in Turkey is to encourage closer ties between Turkey and western institutions. The Turkey/EU customs union and increased political dialogue are an important part of this process. It would be a great mistake to try to push Turkey further east.

Lord Chalfont

My Lords, at the risk of committing yet another gross breach of good taste, does the Minister agree that the best advice we could give to the Turkish Government is how much credence to place on unilateral ceasefires by terrorist organisations?

Lord Chesham

My Lords, that is a matter with which I have already dealt. To return to the point about aid, funding to assist with the EU customs union was to be provided to Turkey. At the moment no EU aid is going to Turkey at all; it is being banned by Greece.

Lord Hylton

My Lords, will the Government take up with the Government of Turkey the recent commercial action that prevented MED TV—a British-registered company—from broadcasting in the Kurdish language to Turkey, Iran and Iraq?

Lord Chesham

My Lords, MED TV was, I understand, unable to renew its contract for access to satellite for its broadcasts. That is a purely commercial decision, not one on which this Government had, or could have, any influence.