Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterpart in Turkey on the treatment of (a) Alevis, (b) Kurds and (c) Christian minorities in that country.

The Government maintains a regular dialogue with Turkey, a key North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) ally and strategic partner. The UK supports the rights of all minority groups in Turkey, including Alevis, Jews, Christians, Kurds and others. The right to freedom of religion or belief is clearly enshrined in the Turkish constitution and both Ministers and officials have raised the treatment of minority groups with their Turkish counterparts.