Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am aware of recent reports by Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, including testimony from migrants and witnesses that some Turkish border guards have used violence against Syrians. I learned with deep concern of the death of 11 refugees on the Turkish-Syrian border on 19 June. I am also aware that the Turkish Foreign Ministry has refuted allegations that the refugees were shot by border guards, saying that Turkish security forces "act fully within the legal framework". These reports are very worrying. While Turkey has a right to secure its border with Syria, all actions on the part of Turkey must be in line with international law, including international humanitarian law.

More broadly, the issue of human rights in Turkey has been raised by the Taoiseach at meetings of the European Council and continues to form an integral part of the country’s enlargement process, which we, along with our European partners, keep under close review. At the Foreign Affairs Council on 23 May, I reiterated Ireland’s concerns in respect of the rule of law, human rights and freedom of the media in Turkey and the need to hold Turkey to account to the core European values inherent in the accession process.

The core intention of the agreement which emerged from the March European Council was to break the business model of the people smugglers who are profiting from the suffering of the vulnerable. In particular, it aims to discourage the victims of people smugglers from risking their lives. The very significant decline in the number of people attempting to cross the Aegean Sea from Turkey to the Greek Islands since the agreement entered into force suggests that it is achieving its aims.

The need for the agreement to comply with EU and international law was a key concern for very many EU member states, including Ireland. The legal advice of the EU institutions and the Attorney General’s Office was that the terms of the agreement were not in breach of EU or International law.

The EU and Turkey continue to work together to address this crisis, and I take this opportunity to express my sympathy to the people of Turkey, and in particular to the families of those who were killed in the bombing at Istanbul airport on Tuesday 28 June. I signed a book of condolence at the embassy last week and conveyed our deep shock at this dreadful act to the ambassador.

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