Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the implications for her Department's regional strategy of President Erdogan’s meeting with President Raisi and President Putin on 19 July 2022.

The meeting of 19 July 2022 took place within the framework of the 'Astana' format, which Turkey, Russia and Iran have used since 2017 to discuss Syria and which the UK does not recognise this as the legitimate forum to discuss Syria's political future. Turkey is a NATO ally and an important partner for the UK in addressing the security and humanitarian challenges in the region, including northern Syria, where we urge all parties to maintain ceasefires and protect civilians. Ultimately, the only way to end the terrible suffering of the Syrian people, inflicted by the Syrian regime and its allies, including Russia and Iran, is through the UN-facilitated political process in Geneva.