British MPs slam President Erdoğan and British Foreign Office cuts
British MPs have issued a damning indictment of Turkey's approach to the Kurds and its policy on Syria, while demanding that British ministers spearhead international moves to urge Turkey to change its behaviour on the Kurdish issue, support for Islamist groups, and suppressing internal dissent and freedom of speech.
The blunt advice to the British Government and the strong rebuke of Turkey is part of a wider report from the influential Foreign Affairs Committee on the UK’s role in the war against ISIL [Daesh] following the Cessation of Hostilities in Syria in February 2016.
The cross-party group of senior MPs conclude that "Turkey’s actions against the Kurds are undermining the global battle against ISIL. Syrian Kurdish forces have proved important allies in the fight against ISIL, but Turkey has conducted airstrikes against Kurdish forces in northern Syria. Turkey has also reopened the conflict with Kurds within its own borders."
The Committee's Chair, Crispin Blunt issued a strong statement that "The shameless actions of the Turkish President, in furthering his own domestic agenda, cannot be allowed to continue. The UK appears to be turning a blind eye to Turkey’s brutal suppression of the Kurds – almost certainly in return for Turkish co-operation on EU migration priorities."
He added: "The UK should spearhead raising with Turkey their behaviour on the Kurdish issue, their airstrikes against the Syrian Kurds, their suppression of internal dissent and freedom of speech, and their destructive role in the political process."
The report pulls no punches in its detailed analysis of what it calls "President Erdoğan’s increasingly shameful domestic priorities and repressive policies [which] have driven the PYD (Syria’s main Kurdish party/grouping) and its associated YPG militia into the arms of the Syrian regime and Russia. Since Syrian Kurdish forces have proved effective allies in the fight against ISIL, this is working directly against shared international priorities.
The UK must press Turkey to refrain from taking any further action against YPG forces and to play a constructive role towards shared objectives in the defeat of ISIL. It is not acceptable for the UK, in return for Turkish co-operation on EU migration priorities, to turn a blind eye towards the brutal Turkish government suppression of legitimate Kurdish aspirations at home and in neighbouring states, which is almost certainly illegal and involves a grossly disproportionate use of force."
The report says that the US and Russia played the leading roles in negotiating the Cessation of Hostilities in Syria and that the UK's minimal role "contrasts with the Prime Minister’s rhetoric about Britain's full diplomatic weight.
The Committee acidly observes that "It is plain that the Prime Minister’s 'full diplomatic weight' does not reflect actual human resources. It is the case that the FCO struggles to have the capacity to deploy properly resourced teams, and it is unlikely to be a priority when the hope will be that the UK’s principal ally will do the work. It is another indication of the FCO stretched beyond sensible limits to support the rhetoric of UK leaders and to support the delivery of key British objectives in a crisis-riddled world. It also reinforces the impression in the mind of our principal ally [America] that the UK is another 'free rider.'" The Committee says this further reinforces their case that the FCO’s budget should increase.
The Committee has given Turkey and the British Government both barrels in this very outspoken report. The focus of the inquiry is much wider and evidence given by myself and the KRG High Representative to the UK, Karwan Jamal Tahir about the role of the Kurdistan Region may be examined in further reports in what a senior source tells me is a "rolling inquiry" and "constant commentary."
A future report could, therefore, examine in detail the position of the Kurdistan Region. My conclusion in my own evidence was that "We expect much of the KRG as an ally and as a partner with democratic and pro-Western values, voluntarily embraced by them. The Kurds are willing to listen to us but we also need to listen to them, whether they become a more respected part of Iraq, an independent nation or something in between."
The blunt advice to the British Government and the strong rebuke of Turkey is part of a wider report from the influential Foreign Affairs Committee on the UK’s role in the war against ISIL [Daesh] following the Cessation of Hostilities in Syria in February 2016.
The cross-party group of senior MPs conclude that "Turkey’s actions against the Kurds are undermining the global battle against ISIL. Syrian Kurdish forces have proved important allies in the fight against ISIL, but Turkey has conducted airstrikes against Kurdish forces in northern Syria. Turkey has also reopened the conflict with Kurds within its own borders."
The Committee's Chair, Crispin Blunt issued a strong statement that "The shameless actions of the Turkish President, in furthering his own domestic agenda, cannot be allowed to continue. The UK appears to be turning a blind eye to Turkey’s brutal suppression of the Kurds – almost certainly in return for Turkish co-operation on EU migration priorities."
He added: "The UK should spearhead raising with Turkey their behaviour on the Kurdish issue, their airstrikes against the Syrian Kurds, their suppression of internal dissent and freedom of speech, and their destructive role in the political process."
The report pulls no punches in its detailed analysis of what it calls "President Erdoğan’s increasingly shameful domestic priorities and repressive policies [which] have driven the PYD (Syria’s main Kurdish party/grouping) and its associated YPG militia into the arms of the Syrian regime and Russia. Since Syrian Kurdish forces have proved effective allies in the fight against ISIL, this is working directly against shared international priorities.
The UK must press Turkey to refrain from taking any further action against YPG forces and to play a constructive role towards shared objectives in the defeat of ISIL. It is not acceptable for the UK, in return for Turkish co-operation on EU migration priorities, to turn a blind eye towards the brutal Turkish government suppression of legitimate Kurdish aspirations at home and in neighbouring states, which is almost certainly illegal and involves a grossly disproportionate use of force."
The report says that the US and Russia played the leading roles in negotiating the Cessation of Hostilities in Syria and that the UK's minimal role "contrasts with the Prime Minister’s rhetoric about Britain's full diplomatic weight.
The Committee acidly observes that "It is plain that the Prime Minister’s 'full diplomatic weight' does not reflect actual human resources. It is the case that the FCO struggles to have the capacity to deploy properly resourced teams, and it is unlikely to be a priority when the hope will be that the UK’s principal ally will do the work. It is another indication of the FCO stretched beyond sensible limits to support the rhetoric of UK leaders and to support the delivery of key British objectives in a crisis-riddled world. It also reinforces the impression in the mind of our principal ally [America] that the UK is another 'free rider.'" The Committee says this further reinforces their case that the FCO’s budget should increase.
The Committee has given Turkey and the British Government both barrels in this very outspoken report. The focus of the inquiry is much wider and evidence given by myself and the KRG High Representative to the UK, Karwan Jamal Tahir about the role of the Kurdistan Region may be examined in further reports in what a senior source tells me is a "rolling inquiry" and "constant commentary."
A future report could, therefore, examine in detail the position of the Kurdistan Region. My conclusion in my own evidence was that "We expect much of the KRG as an ally and as a partner with democratic and pro-Western values, voluntarily embraced by them. The Kurds are willing to listen to us but we also need to listen to them, whether they become a more respected part of Iraq, an independent nation or something in between."