HL Deb 22 June 1999 vol 602 cc85-6WA
Lord Hylton

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they have studied (a) the Report to the Council of Europe about Turkey (by the Committee on the Honouring of Obligations by Member States) dated 15 January, and (b) the statement from the Lawyers' Committee for Human Rights, dated 18 March, submitted to the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe about Turkey; and, if so, what conclusions they draw. [HL2944]

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean

We have read both reports, which raise a number of important issues. We continue both to raise our human rights concerns regularly with the Turkish authorities and to encourage them to undertake reforms in many of the areas covered by the reports; and in this context we welcome the steps taken by the Turkish authorities, including the recent legislative proposal to remove the military judge from the State Security Courts.