§ Mr. GerrardTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the current human rights situation in Turkey; what representations he has made to the Government of Turkey on this issue; and what plans he has to include within his statement to the forthcoming UN Commission on Human Rights in Geneva concerns about human rights in Turkey. [35573]
§ Mr. Doug HendersonThe human rights situation in Turkey continues to give cause for concern. We regularly raise human rights issues with the Turkish authorities. We acknowledge the steps that the Turkish Government have taken to address such concerns, but we have made it clear that more needs to be done. We are committed to working closely with Turkey and to providing practical assistance to help Turkey fully meet its international obligations in this area. In our role as EU Presidency, we will make a series of interventions including on Turkey at the current session of the Commission on Human Rights. The detail of the interventions is still being discussed with partners.