§ Lord Hyltonasked Her Majesty's Government:
What steps they have taken both directly and within international bodies since the House of Lords Debate of 29 November 1993, to uphold human rights and protect minorities in Turkey.
§ Baroness Chalker of WallaseyMy right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary stressed to the Turkish Prime Minister and Foreign Minister during his visit to Turkey in January that terrorism had to be tackled within the rule of law and with full respect for human rights. My honourable friend the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Mr. Heathcoat-Amory, spoke in similar terms to the Turkish Minister for Human Rights in London earlier this month.
At the Human Rights Commission in Geneva recently, the European Union expressed concern at the Turkish Government's human rights record and called on the Turkish authorities to co-operate with the International Committee of the Red Cross on prison conditions.