Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-04-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to the government of Turkey on the arrest and charging of Can Dundar and Erdem Gul.

Mr Philip Hammond

We regularly underline the importance of freedom of expression and all fundamental freedoms as part of our broader dialogue with the Turkish Government. I set out the UK’s concerns on freedom of expression when I met my Turkish counterpart on 12 March. The specific case of Can Dündar and Erdem Gül is an important one for freedom of expression in Turkey. We and our EU partners are monitoring progress, including by our diplomats attending the opening hearing on 25 March.