§ Mr. DismoreTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about his recent discussions in London with the Turkish Foreign Minister. [124590]
§ Mr. MacShaneMy right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and I met his Turkish counterpart, Abdullah Gul, on 3 July 2003. He reaffirmed the UK's full support for Turkey's EU candidacy, welcomed recent developments and encouraged Turkey to make further progress towards meeting the Copenhagen Political Criteria. He also discussed regional issues. He reported on his recent visit to the Middle East, focusing on the situation in Iraq and Iran. The Foreign Secretary also reiterated the need for a Cyprus solution on the basis on the UN plan.