HL Deb 24 June 1999 vol 602 cc108-9WA
Lord Hylton

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will discuss with the Government of Turkey the case of Mr. Akin Birdal (President of the Human Rights Association of Turkey) with a view to his receiving necessary medical treatment to preserve the use of his right arm (whether in prison or elsewhere), following the attempt on his life in May 1998. [HL2943]

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean

The British Embassy in Ankara discussed the issue of Akin Birdal's access to medical treatment with the Turkish authorities prior to his imprisonment on 3 June, and my right honourable friend the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Joyce Quin, raised it with Mr. Lagoglu, a senior official from the Turkish Foreign Ministry, who visited London on 7 June. The embassy is in direct contact with the Human Rights Association on this issue. According to the Human Rights Association, Mr. Birdal is content with the frequency and quality of medical treatment that he has received since his imprisonment.