§ Lord Hyltonasked Her Majesty's Government:
What reports they have received from the British Embassy in Ankara concerning the expulsion of inhabitants from villages and hamlets in the Van and Sirnak districts in 2001, and the destruction for the second time of Senlikkoya in October 2000; whether they have information concerning difficulties faced by inhabitants wishing to return to their original villages; and whether they will draw the attention of the Government of Turkey to the United Nations Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement (dated 1998). [HL2915]
§ The Minister for Trade (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean)The British Embassy in Ankara reports regularly on human rights issues in Turkey. It has previously reported on village clearances in the regions mentioned by the noble Lord. In the course of its regular monitoring of human rights in Turkey, it receives information from a variety of sources covering a range of issues, including the impact of clearances on the local population.