Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the Government’s policy is on Turkish military action against the YPG in northern Syria.

​The UK recognises Turkey's legitimate interest in the security of its borders. We are closely following developments in Afrin in north-western Syria. Both the Foreign Secretary and Minister Burt have been in contact with Turkish Foreign Minister Çavuşoğlu over the past days to urge them to avoid any escalation in violence and to seek to protect civilians. It remains in our shared interest to focus on achieving a political settlement that ends the war and suffering, and provides stability for all Syrians and the wider region.