Over 50 Parliamentarians co-signed a joint letter by Crispin Blunt MP and Hilary Benn MP regarding Britain’s relationship with Turkey. The letter was sent to Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Dominic Raab.
The letter outlined that “despite Turkey’s progress with regards to human rights, this has in recent years gone into sharp reverse under President Erdogan’s leadership.”
It called for the Government to take a more active stance in seeking to prevent human rights violations in Turkey.
The letter added: “The Biden administration has made its position very clear, and we hope the UK will now add its voice in calling out this behaviour by Turkey.”
The signatories noted that: “Turkey should be an indispensable ally of our country, and that is why the UK owes the people of Turkey a duty to speak up openly for a return to the path of democracy and respect for human rights and pluralism.”
The letter continued: “We request that [the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs) make an early statement to Parliament, making clear to the Turkish government that the United Kingdom’s public friendship cannot be unconditional and that we will always stand up for human rights. The UK’s many friends in Turkey would welcome and draw strength from such a statement of Britain’s position as they work to restore a properly open society.”
Source: ANF
