This briefing provides an introduction to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq's politics, human rights, and relations with Iraq. It also signposts further reading.

This briefing provides an introduction to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq's politics, human rights, and relations with Iraq. It also signposts further reading.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his Turkish counterpart on the disbanding of the Kurdistan Workers Party.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his Turkish counterpart on the disbanding of the Kurdistan Workers Party.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his Turkish counterpart on the detention of Abdullah Ocalan.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his Turkish counterpart on the detention of Abdullah Ocalan.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is taking diplomatic steps to support the Kurdistan Workers Party – Turkey peace process.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is taking diplomatic steps to support the Kurdistan Workers Party – Turkey peace process.

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was re-elected for a third term as President of Turkey in a second-round election run-off on 28 May 2023. This paper provides background on the 2023 presidential and parliamentary elections and Erdoğan's two decades in power in Turkey.

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was re-elected for a third term as President of Turkey in a second-round election run-off on 28 May 2023. This paper provides background on the 2023 presidential and parliamentary elections and Erdoğan's two decades in power in Turkey.

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made as to whether the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) poses a terrorist threat to the UK; and what assessment they have made of the ruling by the Court of Cassation in Belgium that the PKK is not a terrorist organisation.

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made as to whether the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) poses a terrorist threat to the UK; and what assessment they have made of the ruling by the Court of Cassation in Belgium that the PKK is not a terrorist organisation.

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the ruling by Belgium's Court of Cassation that the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) is not a terrorist organisation; and what plans they have, if any, to remove the PKK from their register of terrorist organisations.

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the ruling by Belgium's Court of Cassation that the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) is not a terrorist organisation; and what plans they have, if any, to remove the PKK from their register of terrorist organisations.

I beg to move,

That this House has considered Kurdish political representation and equality in Turkey.

Thank you, Dame Angela. I thank the Backbench Business Committee for granting this debate, the title of which mirrors exactly that of the report of the all-party parliamentary group for Kurdistan in Turkey and Syria, which...

I beg to move,

That this House has considered Kurdish political representation and equality in Turkey.

Thank you, Dame Angela. I thank the Backbench Business Committee for granting this debate, the title of which mirrors exactly that of the report of the all-party parliamentary group for Kurdistan in Turkey and Syria, which...

I congratulate my hon. Friend on securing this debate and on his work in keeping a light shining on this sometimes forgotten struggle. Is not the important thing here that the HDP and other groups that may just disagree with the current regime are being denied their democratic rights and...

I congratulate my hon. Friend on securing this debate and on his work in keeping a light shining on this sometimes forgotten struggle. Is not the important thing here that the HDP and other groups that may just disagree with the current regime are being denied their democratic rights and...

I totally agree. NATO and the Council of Europe, both of which we and Turkey are members of, need to be holding Turkey to greater account. I also totally agree with my right hon. Friend that we should have no truck with terrorism. But an expansive approach including anyone who...

I totally agree. NATO and the Council of Europe, both of which we and Turkey are members of, need to be holding Turkey to greater account. I also totally agree with my right hon. Friend that we should have no truck with terrorism. But an expansive approach including anyone who...

I thank my hon. Friend for securing this debate and making an excellent speech. The issues he is raising are really important, and are ones that the Prime Minister has spoken about in a UK context. However, there is no evidence that the Prime Minister, when he met the President...

I thank my hon. Friend for securing this debate and making an excellent speech. The issues he is raising are really important, and are ones that the Prime Minister has spoken about in a UK context. However, there is no evidence that the Prime Minister, when he met the President...

It is very worrying. During our report, the Turkish Government withdrew from the Istanbul convention—it is slightly ironically named now—which is about the prevention and combating of violence against women and domestic violence. The convention had only come into force in Turkey in 2014, and we are yet to see...

It is very worrying. During our report, the Turkish Government withdrew from the Istanbul convention—it is slightly ironically named now—which is about the prevention and combating of violence against women and domestic violence. The convention had only come into force in Turkey in 2014, and we are yet to see...

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Dame Angela. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Brighton,

Kemptown (Lloyd Russell-Moyle) for securing this important debate, and I welcome the APPG report on Kurdish political representation and democracy in Turkey. I want to start by sending my solidarity...

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Dame Angela. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Brighton,

Kemptown (Lloyd Russell-Moyle) for securing this important debate, and I welcome the APPG report on Kurdish political representation and democracy in Turkey. I want to start by sending my solidarity...

I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Brighton, Kemptown (Lloyd Russell-Moyle) for securing this important debate. I will focus my comments on the role of the Turkish Government towards the Kurdish community.

Sadly, the issue of representation and equality for Kurds in Turkey is not new. The systemic abuse of...

I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Brighton, Kemptown (Lloyd Russell-Moyle) for securing this important debate. I will focus my comments on the role of the Turkish Government towards the Kurdish community.

Sadly, the issue of representation and equality for Kurds in Turkey is not new. The systemic abuse of...

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Dame Angela, and to follow the comprehensive introduction to the all-party group’s report from its chair, the hon. Member for Brighton, Kemptown (Lloyd Russell-Moyle), with whom I enjoyed—and “enjoy” is the right word—an interesting visit to north-east Syria, seeing the Kurdish...

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Dame Angela, and to follow the comprehensive introduction to the all-party group’s report from its chair, the hon. Member for Brighton, Kemptown (Lloyd Russell-Moyle), with whom I enjoyed—and “enjoy” is the right word—an interesting visit to north-east Syria, seeing the Kurdish...

It is a great pleasure to follow such a thoughtful contribution from the hon. Member for Reigate (Crispin Blunt), and I associate myself with his questions. I also warmly praise the hon. Member for Brighton, Kemptown (Lloyd Russell-Moyle) for an excellent report and contribution to this debate.

I am very...

It is a great pleasure to follow such a thoughtful contribution from the hon. Member for Reigate (Crispin Blunt), and I associate myself with his questions. I also warmly praise the hon. Member for Brighton, Kemptown (Lloyd Russell-Moyle) for an excellent report and contribution to this debate.

I am very...

I am pleased to speak in this debate under your chairship, Dame Angela. Like everyone else in the Chamber, I look forward to hearing the Minister’s response. I also put on record my thanks for the moving speech from my hon. Friend the Member for Enfield North (Feryal Clark), who...

I am pleased to speak in this debate under your chairship, Dame Angela. Like everyone else in the Chamber, I look forward to hearing the Minister’s response. I also put on record my thanks for the moving speech from my hon. Friend the Member for Enfield North (Feryal Clark), who...

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Dame Angela. I congratulate the hon. Member for Brighton, Kemptown (Lloyd Russell-Moyle) on securing this debate through the Backbench Business Committee, and thank him and other hon. Members for their contributions today.

I know that the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth...

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Dame Angela. I congratulate the hon. Member for Brighton, Kemptown (Lloyd Russell-Moyle) on securing this debate through the Backbench Business Committee, and thank him and other hon. Members for their contributions today.

I know that the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth...

I wanted to follow up on one question. The final recommendation of the Foreign Affairs Committee in its 2017 report The UK’s Relations with Turkey, paragraph 179, is that:

“We recommend that the FCO designate Turkey as a Human Rights Priority Country in its next Human Rights and Democracy Report.”

Matters have...

I wanted to follow up on one question. The final recommendation of the Foreign Affairs Committee in its 2017 report The UK’s Relations with Turkey, paragraph 179, is that:

“We recommend that the FCO designate Turkey as a Human Rights Priority Country in its next Human Rights and Democracy Report.”

Matters have...

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for his intervention. I would like to mark and commend his work as Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee. Everyone thought very highly of him in terms of his chairmanship, and now his ability to pull out a report today. I will talk...

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for his intervention. I would like to mark and commend his work as Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee. Everyone thought very highly of him in terms of his chairmanship, and now his ability to pull out a report today. I will talk...