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UK Urges 'Swift' Probe Into Claims Of Chemical Weapons Use By Turkish Forces

Investigation into claims that Turkey and its allies used chemical weapons against civilians, the Foreign Secretary has said.

Dominic Raab told MPs that reports over the use of white phosphorous in Syria are "not yet fully verified", but he pressed the need for a United Nations investigation.


Turkey has been criticised for launching an offensive in north-eastern Syria to push out Syrian Kurdish fighters, who it considers terrorists for their links to a Kurdish insurgency inside Turkey.


Speaking in the Commons, Conservative former minister Crispin Blunt said: "On the conduct of the Turkish military operation, there is now pretty incontrovertible evidence that certainly white phosphorous has been used as a weapon against civilians, if not other chemical weapons, either by the Turks or by their Syrian auxiliary allies.

"This is a matter of immense seriousness.


"Will the United Kingdom Government now hold Turkey and her allies to account?"


Mr Raab replied: "In relation to white phosphorous, we're very concerned by the reports, not yet fully verified, as we said. And we want to see a swift and thorough investigation by the UN commission of investigations and that's what we're pressing for."

Former Brexit secretary David Davis, urged Mr Raab to work to repatriate British children stuck in refugee camps in Syria, before Parliament resumes after the General Election.


He added: "There are 60 British children who will be living in tents in mid-winter in northern Syria by then. Can I ask him again to revise as a matter of urgency our policy on their return?"


In response, Mr Raab said: "We certainly share his concerns about the humanitarian situation. I've already made clear the UK's policy in relation to unaccompanied minors and orphans, which is we're willing to see them repatriated.


"We will consider wider requests for consular support more generally, subject to national security concerns.


"The real challenge that we've got of course, is that we don't have a consular presence in Syria. Accessing the children or anyone else for that matter of UK nationality is very difficult.

"But we do respond to all cases on a case-by-case basis."

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