HL Deb 01 March 1993 vol 543 cc23-4WA
Lord Hylton

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will enquire of the Government of Turkey the reasons for and circumstances surrounding the arrest on 22nd January of Mr. Osman Aytar, editor of Medya Gunesi, under article 8 of the Anti-Terrorist Law 3713; and whether they will place on the agenda of the Council of Europe the question of murders and arrests of journalists in Turkey.

Baroness Chalker of Wallasey

We have been in frequent contact with the Turkish Government on the subject of human rights. We have not discussed individual cases.

During his visit in November, the Turkish Prime Minister Mr. Demirel reiterated his Government's commitment to its programme for reforms, which aims at improving human rights and increasing democratisation in the country. We welcome this clear commitment to human rights by the Turkish government and look forward to the implementation of its programme.

We do not propose to raise this matter at the Council of Europe. We believe that the political dialogue between the EC and its member states and Turkey offers the best framework for discussing human rights issues in that country.