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Turkey: Politics and Government

Question for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

UIN HL7134, tabled on 17 April 2023

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the Turkish judiciary has sufficient independence to conduct free and fair hearings of cases with political implications.

Answered on

2 May 2023

We have long encouraged Turkey to work towards the full protection of fundamental rights. We are closely monitoring reports of the the widespread use of anti-terror legislation to silence critics of the state and encourage Turkey to ensure that all charges under the legislation are carried out in a proportionate and transparent manner.

His Majesty's Government has no locus to intervene in Turkish domestic legal cases but our Embassy in Ankara frequently monitors high-profile trials. We will continue to raise specific cases with the Turkish government and through the Council of Europe.