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Turkey and Syria Earthquake
07 February 2023
Lead MP
James Cleverly
Debate Type
Ministerial Statement
Tags
Foreign Affairs
Other Contributors: 26
At a Glance
James Cleverly raised concerns about turkey and syria earthquake in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Government Statement
On Monday, a major earthquake struck south-eastern Turkey and north-western Syria at 1.17 am UK time with a magnitude of 7.8 on the Richter scale, followed by another major quake at 10.24 am London time with a magnitude of 7.5. The earthquakes have caused significant damage to infrastructure, including over 6,000 collapsed buildings and severe damage to electricity and gas systems. At least 2,291 deaths and 15,834 injuries were confirmed by Turkish authorities. The UK Foreign Office is supporting at least 35 British nationals affected directly, with three missing. Urban search and rescue teams are being deployed along with an emergency medical assessment team. Support to Syria through the White Helmets, International Medical Corps, Save the Children, and UN agencies will be provided via the Conflict Stability and Security Fund. The UK remains committed to delivering aid where needed and working with allies for effective humanitarian response.
David Lammy
Lab
Tottenham
Question
The massive earthquakes struck southern Turkey and northern Syria, causing devastation with thousands of lives lost. Labour sends condolences to those affected. David Lammy asks about additional financial support for relief efforts, the impact of sanctions on aid delivery, whether dual nationals are included in casualty figures, if a constituency hotline will be established, and questions cuts to the FCDO Syria team budget.
Minister reply
James Cleverly acknowledges the points raised by David Lammy and confirms that financial uplift is being provided through the White Helmets. He states that aid delivery should not be hampered by sanctions as most support will come from Turkey’s Government and non-Government agencies. Future funding allocations for Syria will be reassessed in response to the situation on the ground, and the House will be updated accordingly.
Alicia Kearns
Con
Rutland and Stamford
Question
My heart goes out to all those affected by the earthquakes, especially British nationals. The Assad regime's bombing of Marea is heinous; will the Foreign Secretary confirm repercussions for Assad? Additionally, how will Russia and China be shamed into reopening humanitarian corridors? Will the integrated review refresh address Syria’s transformation into a narco state?
Minister reply
The UK condemns Assad's actions and has sanctioned him. Sanctions will continue to prevent such behaviour. The situation in Syria remains important despite a tilt towards the Indo-Pacific.
Chris Law
SNP
Dundee Central
Question
In light of 5,000 confirmed deaths and widespread destruction across Turkey and Syria, how will the UK Government at UN level open additional crossing points for humanitarian assistance? What negotiations are taking place to establish a humanitarian corridor? Will cold weather equipment be sent to survivors?
Minister reply
The FCDO is deploying urban search and rescue teams with world-class equipment. The Minister will liaise with Martin Griffiths of the UN on access routes. Medical aid has been authorised, and further requirements will evolve over time.
Question
Does my right hon. Friend agree that we should do as much as possible to help Turkey given the overwhelming situation there?
Minister reply
The scale of this catastrophe is unprecedented; we will work closely with Turkish friends and allies and international partners in assessing needs.
Feryal Clark
Lab
Enfield North
Question
What support, if any, will be available to British Kurdish people trying to find out about their family in Turkey? The Foreign Office has provided a helpline for British citizens only.
Minister reply
The FCDO's priority is British nationals overseas; while we do not have capacity to extend support to non-British nationals, we are working closely with Turkish authorities and organisations on the ground.
Mark Pritchard
Con
The Wrekin
Question
Does he agree that this is a time for international co-operation and diplomacy from unexpected sources such as Greece and Armenia to save lives?
Minister reply
Real acts of solidarity are being seen; this situation provides an opportunity for shared humanity and maximising efforts to prevent further loss of life.
Alison McGovern
Lab
Birkenhead
Question
Can the Secretary of State look again at funding for the White Helmets, who have struggled with sustainability? The organisation has been a long-standing supporter.
Minister reply
We will assess longer-term implications and look seriously at the situation to determine further needs.
Question
Will my right hon. Friend encourage the British people to donate to appeals such as those launched by Oxfam, the British Red Cross, Christian Aid, Islamic Relief, and ActionAid?
Minister reply
The UK Government have committed funds directly to support relief efforts; we will continue with ongoing assessment of further needs.
Layla Moran
Lib Dem
Oxford West and Abingdon
Question
I thank the Secretary of State for coming to the House so that we can express our sorrow and solidarity with the people of Turkey and Syria, and with families up and down this country who are desperately worried about those back home. I welcome the support offered and the potential offer of more, but may I press him on Syria? Organisations on the ground are ill-equipped to hand out the support that is desperately needed. Many of them are also affected by the earthquakes. The Foreign Secretary said that this is exceptional—one in 80 years—so although we are not planning to send personnel and equipment into Syria itself, I urge him to think as creatively as he can to make whatever exceptions he can, so that we do not hurt those who have already been hurt so much.
Minister reply
As the Development Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Sutton Coldfield (Mr Mitchell), said this morning, we are working closely with the United Nations. We will look creatively at what we can do to support it and our partners on the ground to maximise our ability to get humanitarian aid and support to the people who need it most.
Chingford and Woodford Green
Question
I commend my right hon. Friend for coming so swiftly to the House and for the action that he and the Department have already taken. This would have been a terrible enough set of circumstances on their own, but to be overlaid by a brutal civil war in the same area and a very terrible winter makes it worse beyond almost imagination. Like many Members of the House, I have many Turkish and Turkish-Cypriot constituents who are very worried about their families and are finding it difficult to get proper information. I know that my right hon. Friend has set up a hotline. I am being contacted, as I am sure are colleagues across the House, so may I suggest that it might be helpful to have a specific MPs’ hotline, so that we can help our constituents to find out as much information as possible and put their worries at ease?
Minister reply
My right hon. Friend makes an important point. We will, of course, look at the most effective way of providing information. One of the learnings from past consular challenges or acute situations such as this is that having one point of convergence is often most effective. I will not be hide-bound, though, and whether it is people in the UK trying to get information about British nationals or people of Turkish or Syrian heritage trying to get information about non-British nationals, we will look to facilitate that.
Kate Osamor
Lab Co-op
Edmonton and Winchmore Hill
Question
I thank the Minister for his statement, and I want to express my condolences for all those who have lost loved ones. My thoughts especially are with the large Turkish diaspora who call Edmonton their home. Will the Minister commit himself to giving regular updates in the House for those who are worried, and will he update us on what additional aid will be provided once the initial assessment has been done?
Minister reply
The hon. Lady makes a sad but important point. This situation will evolve, and sadly, it is highly likely to get much worse before it gets better. I will make sure that my office liaises with Mr Speaker about the most effective way to provide timely updates to the House, whether it be via the Dispatch Box or in some other format.
Julian Lewis
Con
New Forest East
Question
A situation of this sort in a fellow NATO member would seem to be tailor-made for military assistance from us to their civil powers. Do we not have any Royal Navy ships in the area, and are there not Royal Marine contingents that could be put quickly to work, with the agreement of the Turkish authorities?
Minister reply
I will take the ideas that my right hon. Friend put forward very seriously. The initial assessment of need is very much in urban search and rescue, and the UK, along with a number of NATO and non-NATO partners, is putting forward that capability.
Anna McMorrin
Lab
Cardiff North
Question
My heart goes out to all those who have suffered and continue to suffer in this dreadful earthquake. The loss of humanitarian aid routes to north-west Syria, which went down from four to one in 2020, has had an immeasurable impact on the effective delivery of aid to the area. It has meant virtually no resources and help for those in what was already a dreadful humanitarian situation and who are now coping with the impacts of this truly awful earthquake. How will the Secretary of State ensure that aid gets to the people who need it?
Minister reply
The hon. Lady makes a very important point, and it is one that I raised in my last bilateral meeting with Martin Griffiths. As she said, this has had a significant detrimental effect on the international community’s ability to provide humanitarian support to some of the neediest people in the world.
Question
This is a stark reminder of the importance of resilience and our ability to deal with these acute events if they happen to us or to help others. I welcome the Foreign Secretary’s statement. As he knows, the first 72 hours are critical. Military assistance has been mentioned. We have assets in Cyprus, including rotary systems, that could be put to use. Could we offer those to the Turkish authorities in this critical period?
Minister reply
We have been in close contact with our Turkish counterparts from very early on in this situation. Obviously, we have a very close military relationship through NATO. Turkey has a large and sophisticated armed forces in its own right. What it has asked us for most is in one of the areas where we provide world-class capability.
Question
In just a matter of weeks, the holy month of Ramadan begins, when Muslims fast from dawn to dusk, yet Muslims and others in Syria and Turkey are in the middle of harsh weather conditions, with many roads and cities covered in snow and now damaged by this disaster. Does the FCDO plan to work with international partners to organise the provision of hygiene products, including sanitary products, as we know that natural disasters disproportionately impact women and girls? Will the Foreign Secretary join me in commending charities such as Islamic Relief, which has mobilised teams in both Syria and Turkey and since Monday has already raised over £1 million to help those affected?
Minister reply
I am happy to pay tribute to Islamic Relief and other charities and non-governmental organisations that are active in the region. The hon. Lady is right that, sadly, whether it be natural disaster, conflict or man-made disaster, women and girls always bear the brunt; it is one of the sad truisms of development and humanitarian relief.
Question
I have watched, as everyone across the UK and around the world has, with horror and heartbreak the scenes from the earthquake in Syria and Turkey. Whenever a disaster happens, the UK always steps up, and people are so generous in wanting to help. Could my right hon. Friend confirm what steps people in Watford and across the UK can take to donate so that it reaches the frontline and helps those who are currently suffering the unimaginable?
Minister reply
We have already discussed Islamic Relief, Red Cross and Red Crescent, and I have no doubt that a number of organisations will be putting forward appeals. We recognise that, for many people in the UK, the economic situation is difficult.
Jessica Morden
Lab
Newport East
Question
Like the constituents of my hon. Friend the Member for Enfield North (Feryal Clark) and others, members of the Kurdish-Turkish community in Newport are desperately worried about family members and friends, and our hearts go out to them. I reiterate to the Secretary of State the need for clear channels of communication to help us make urgent inquiries for constituents, whether it be drop-ins upstairs or other means, and support in-country for UK citizens and dual nationals, as well as the need for us to do everything we can on a humanitarian level.
Minister reply
I completely recognise the desire of Members of the House to be kept informed and to be able to provide a service to constituents who, quite understandably, will be very worried about friends and loved ones. I will take that on board, and my team will be making a note of what the hon. Member and other Members of the House have said on this.
Anthony Mangnall
Con
Cheadle
Question
Echoes the Foreign Secretary's comments and calls for continued funding of the White Helmets. Asks about deployment figures for medical response teams, recommends public signposting for donations, and inquires about real-time reporting mechanisms.
Minister reply
Acknowledges the need for accurate, ongoing, and timely information and commits to providing it. Confirms that numbers will change over time due to evolving circumstances.
Kim Johnson
Lab
Liverpool Riverside
Question
Sends condolences and emphasises non-discriminatory support. Asks about securing humanitarian corridors for aid distribution and the provision of heavy lifting equipment.
Minister reply
Commits to working closely with UN, White Helmets, and other organisations on the ground. Will also work with Turkish Government. Confirms that UK will listen carefully to requests from Turkish authorities.
Emma Hardy
Lab
Kingston upon Hull West and Haltemprice
Question
Sends condolences and emphasises need for timely information for concerned constituents. Asks about efforts to drive humanitarian access to Syria up the international agenda.
Minister reply
Will raise issue with UN Secretary-General Martin Griffiths later in the day. Acknowledges constraints on humanitarian routes over recent years and seeks to address this.
Hilary Benn
Lab
Leeds South
Question
Asks about capacity for further search and rescue teams, and whether an appeal will be issued by the Disasters Emergency Committee.
Minister reply
Will liaise with DEC to raise a specific appeal. UK's future assistance guided by requests of Turkish authorities and feedback from initial experts sent.
Barry Sheerman
Lab
Huddersfield
Question
Asks for immediate action—sending people, heavy lifting equipment, and expertise now.
Minister reply
Assures swift response with UK urban search and rescue team on ground today. Emphasises enduring challenge and importance of feedback from partners.
Chris Stephens
SNP
Glasgow South
Question
Asks about liaison with Kurdish charities and support for the Kurdish community.
Minister reply
Commits to working with wide range of international partners, including Kurdish communities, ensuring no disadvantaged groups in terms of aid.
Margaret Ferrier
SNP
Rennie-Melville
Question
Warns about scammers exploiting social media for money transfers.
Minister reply
Advices caution against unsolicited communications and recommends well-established avenues of support to avoid scams.
Jim Shannon
DUP
Strangford
Question
Asks if UK aid will be sent to minority communities, including Yazidis.
Minister reply
Commits to seeking assurances from officials that support reaches all groups, not just those with established routes for humanitarian assistance.
Shadow Comment
David Lammy
Shadow Comment
The Labour party expresses condolences for those affected by the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, noting that the disaster has caused severe damage and loss of life. David Lammy questions the financial support to be provided and its timing, discusses concerns about sanctions affecting aid delivery, and inquires about cuts to the FCDO Syria team budget. He also asks if dual nationals are accounted for in casualty figures and whether a constituency hotline will be established.
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