§ Lord Aveburyasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will raise with the Turkish Government the sentence of one years imprisonment passed on Mr. Akin Birdal, President of the Human 162WA Rights Association; and whether they will ask the British Embassy in Ankara to seek permission to visit Mr. Birdal in prison, notwithstanding the absence of a right of access under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations. [HL2447]
§ Baroness Symons of Vernham DeanWe raised the issue of Mr. Akin Birdal's prison sentence with the Turkish Government both in Ankara and in London, most recently on 7 June. We are concerned that he was sent to prison on 3 June. We understand that he may be released on medical grounds.
We have made clear to the Turkish authorities the considerable interest in this case in the United Kingdom.
It is not our practice to make prison visits to Turkish citizens, but we will nevertheless keep his case under review.