Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Turkey regarding the sentencing of Ekrem İmamoğlu, the mayor of Istanbul, to two years and seven months in prison for the crime of "insulting public officials".

The UK believes that freedom of expression is a fundamental human right. We have noted the sentence handed down to Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu and will continue to follow the legal proceedings in this case closely. We look to Turkey, as a modern democracy and a fellow member of the Council of Europe, to undertake any legal processes against political figures fairly, transparently and with full respect for the rule of law. We regularly raise human rights concerns with Turkish officials at senior levels and will continue to do so.