Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Turkish counterparts since President Erdogan’s statement of 20 January 2018 on an assault on the Syrian city of Manbij; and if he will make a statement.

We are closely following developments in Afrin in north-western Syria, and the Foreign Secretary and other Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers are in regular contact with their Turkish counterparts. We have sought regular updates on the progress of the operation. We have urged Turkey to avoid any escalation in violence and to seek to protect civilians, while recognising its legitimate interest in the security of its borders. 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.