§ Lord Hyltonasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will raise in the Council of Europe the number of primary and secondary schools in the south east region of Turkey that are currently closed, together with the question of appropriate languages for education. [HL3237]
§ Baroness Symons of Vernham DeanWe have repeatedly urged the Turkish Government to recognise the cultural and educational aspirations of the Kurdish population of south east Turkey, including the issue of use of the Kurdish language.
We have no plans to raise the issue of school closures in south east Turkey in the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers. We have, however, taken up the issue of social regeneration in south east Turkey with the Turkish authorities on a bilateral level. We understand that the Turkish government attaches a high priority to the reopening of schools in the region.