§ Dr. TongeTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Turkish Government regarding(a) the imprisonment of Mr. Abdullah Ocalan and(b) visits to Mr. Ocalan by the Red Cross. [158301]
§ Mr. MacShaneWe have not made representations to the Turkish Government regarding the imprisonment of Mr. Ocalan or on visits to Mr. Ocalan by the Red Cross/Crescent. However, we monitor Mr. Ocalan's imprisonment closely and officials from the British embassy in Turkey have discussed the situation with Mr. Ocalan's lawyers. We continue to make frequent representations on human rights reform, including the rights and conditions for all prisoners, for example, during the ongoing bilateral human rights dialogue, the next round of which will be in late spring 2004.
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§ Dr. TongeTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the(a) EU and (b) Turkish Government on language and broadcasting rights in Turkey. [158302]
§ Mr. MacShaneMy right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary frequently discusses this issue at the European Councils—the Council Conclusions in December referred to the need for further efforts regarding cultural rights. Our strong support for Turkey's EU candidature means we are always looking for ways to help Turkey meet the Copenhagen political criteria, which include cultural rights. The Foreign Secretary reiterated our position during his visit to Istanbul on 3 March.
During my visit to Turkey in January this year, I raised the need for prompt implementation of all reforms with ambassador Sungar, Head of the European Secretariat General and Foreign Minister Gul. At official level, monthly EU working groups discuss progress on reforms, including those mentioned by the hon. Member. Officials in the British embassy in Turkey follow the situation closely by means of their contacts with all levels of Turkish civil society and Government.