Turkey (Hansard, 27 October 1994)

§ Mrs. Ewing
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement regarding(a) the imprisonment and trial of eight Kurdish Members of Parliament by the Turkish Government and (b) the six Kurdish Members of Parliament currently in exile in Brussels.

§ Mr. Goodlad
We have made clear to the Turkish Government our strong concern about the action taken against the Members of Parliament of the banned Democracy party. We continue to take every opportunity to remind the Turkish Government of the need for improvement in Turkey's human rights record in general. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary raised the issue with Mrs. Ciller in Istanbul on 14 October.

§ Mrs. Ewing
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what he expects will be the outcome of Turkey's application to enter the European customs union; and to what extent it will depend on Turkey's human rights practices regarding the Kurds.

§ Mr. Goodlad
The United Kingdom is contributing positively to the negotiations between Turkey and the EU to achieve customs union. The Turkish Government are aware of the United Kingdom concerns, shared by European partners, about human rights abuses in Turkey, but there is no direct link between the process of moving towards customs union with Turkey and Turkey's human rights record.

§ Mrs. Ewing
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what outbreaks of cholera have been reported to the World Health Organisation by Turkey.

§ Mr. Goodlad
No cases of cholera have been reported to the World Health Organisation by Turkey for the last two years.

§ Mrs. Ewing
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether future sales of military equipment to Turkey by NATO will be made contingent upon Turkey improving its human rights record with particular reference to Kurdish minorities.

§ Mr. Goodlad
Turkey is a NATO member with genuine external defence requirements. United Kingdom defence sales to Turkey are considered on a case-by-case basis. Arms which are likely to be used for internal repression are not granted licences.