§ Mr. AltonTo ask the Prime Minister (1) what priority he will accord to the human rights record of Turkey in respect of its treatment of the(a) Assyrian, (b) Armenian and (c) Greek Christian minorities in determining whether to support Turkey's admission to the European Customs Union; [2577]
(2) if he will make a statement on his discussions in respect of the persecution of (a) Assyrian, (b) Armenian and (c) Greek Christian minorities in Turkey arising during his meeting with Prime Minister Tansu Ciller. [2576]
§ The Prime MinisterI did not specifically touch on the question of Christian minorities in Turkey with Prime Minister Ciller. We discussed the outlook for human rights in Turkey, and Mrs. Ciller assured me of her commitment to further reforms. We fully support the proposed Customs Union between the European Union and Turkey, and we hope to see it launched on schedule at the start of 1996.