§ Angus RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last had discussions with his Turkish counterpart; what matters were raised in these discussions; and if he will make a statement. [131445]
§ Mr. MacShaneMy right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs met Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, in New York on 25 September. They discussed Turkey's progress towards EU accession, Cyprus and developments in Iraq. The Foreign Secretary reaffirmed the UK's commitment to Turkey's EU candidacy and welcomed the significant progress that Turkey has made towards meeting the Copenhagen Political Criteria. He also discussed the urgent need to work towards a Cyprus settlement on the basis of the Annan plan. The Turkish Foreign Minister gave the Foreign Secretary an update on Turkey's plans to help rebuild Iraq.