Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has had discussions with her Turkish counterpart on a cooperation and security agreement; and whether she plans to hold such discussions before the end of the year.

The Home Office continues to work closely with a wide range of agencies and governments around the world to pursue our shared objectives to tackle organised immigration crime. However, I can advise the Honourable Member that media reports suggesting that the UK is intending to negotiate a cooperation and security agreement with the government of Turkey are wholly inaccurate and misleading, and do not reflect any of the discussions that Home Office ministers and officials have had with their Turkish counterparts in recent months. We look forward to continuing our warm, productive and equal partnership with the government of Turkey on a range of issues of mutual benefit to both countries, but the idea of an 'Italy-style deal' invented by media outlets has been and will remain no part of those discussions.