Written question asked by Lord Patten (Conservative), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Lord Howell of Guildford (Conservative) on Tuesday, 22 March 2011.

Turkey

Question: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will make bilateral representations to the Government of Turkey concerning the recent arrests of journalists, and the state of press freedoms there.

Answer: The EU made a statement on 10 March 2011 expressing its concerns about the arrest of journalists in Turkey and urging Turkey to fulfil its Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe commitments on media freedom. The Government do not plan to make separate bilateral representations in addition to the EU statement. Our embassy in Ankara regularly raises issues relating to freedom of the media in the context of wider discussions on human rights with its Turkish counterparts.

Secondary information