§ Sir W. Fletcherasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will represent to the Turkish Government the bad effect on the credit standing of that friendly Government of their recent action in regard to their failure to allow their nationals to fulfil contractual obligations with firms and citizens of this country.
§ Mr. NuttingHer Majesty's Government are seeking a solution of this prob-84W lem through the Organisation for European Economic Co-operation, and I can assure my hon. Friend that we have made it clear to the Turkish Government that we attach great importance to this matter. I might add, however, that these Turkish regulations do not discriminate against United Kingdom exporters but are applied generally.
§ Sir W. Fletcherasked the President of the Board of Trade (1) if he will handle negotiations between the Turkish Government and this country regarding the failure of the Turkish Government and British Government to implement agreed terms of trade directly and not via the Organisation for European Economic Co-operation;
(2) what action his Department proposes taking to ensure that the large sums of money owed to traders and exporters in this country by Turkish nationals for manufactured goods and commodities delivered under agreed terms that were not carried out, are properly met.
§ Mr. P. ThorneycroftI have some sympathy for the anxiety felt by my hon. Friend in this matter: after full consideration, however. I consider that a satisfactory settlement of the problem is more likely to be reached through the concerted action already in train in the Organisation for European Economic Cooperation than by direct bilateral negotiations.
§ Sir W. Fletcherasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will withhold any payments of sterling to Turkey or Turkish nationals, until obligations of Turkish nationals and the Turkish Government for manufactured goods and commodities supplied recently under agreed terms have been properly carried out.
§ Mr. MaudlingH.M. Government are seeking a solution of this problem through O.E.E.C., and I can assure my hon. Friend that we attach the greatest importance to this matter. I might add, however, that these Turkish regulations do not discriminate against United Kingdom exporters but are applied generally.