VISIT OF TURKISH PRESIDENT RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN TO THE UK

That this House is very concerned about the visit of the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to the UK, in light of general elections now being held in Turkey whilst a state of emergency continues to be in place; notes in connection to this that the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights recently stated that it is difficult to imagine how credible elections can be held in an environment where dissenting views and challenges to the ruling party are penalised so severely and that elections held in an environment where democratic freedoms and the rule of law are compromised would raise questions about their legitimacy; encourages the Government of Turkey to restore the constitutional order, respect fundamental freedoms, ensure international election monitors observe the elections and allow all politicians standing for election to campaign freely and receive comparable mainstream media coverage; and calls on the Government to raise these issues as a matter of urgency with the Turkish President during his visit.