Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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2. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has raised concerns with his European counterparts over the European Union's new political and financial deal with Turkey to curb the number of refugees entering the Union; if he has human rights concerns over the deal; if he is aware that a very prominent Kurdish human rights lawyer, Mr. Tahir Elçi, was assassinated in Turkey on 28 November 2015; and if he will raise this case with the Turkish authorities. [45624/15]

Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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Before I begin, I wish the Ceann Comhairle and his family, the staff, the Minister and the Minister of State a merry Christmas. I will probably not get another opportunity.

I am concerned that in an attempt to use Turkey as Europe's gatekeeper, the EU is apparently ignoring and, by extension, encouraging serious human rights violations in Turkey. I am also tabling this question in the wake of the assassination in broad daylight of the prominent Kurdish human rights lawyer, Mr. Tahir Elçi. The main party representing Kurds in Turkey, the Peoples' Democratic Party, HDP, contends that he was killed by a bullet fired from a police weapon. Has the Minister concerns about this case and has he raised it with the Turkish authorities?

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for his question. On 29 November, the Taoiseach attended an EU Heads of State or Government meeting with Turkey at which it was agreed to activate the EU-Turkey joint action plan, which is aimed at managing the current refugee and migrant crisis, as well as several further shared commitments and actions. The joint action plan contains short and medium-term measures to be undertaken by the EU and Turkey. These will assist Turkey in providing for the refugees in its territory and preventing uncontrolled migratory flows from Turkey to the EU. As part of this, the EU has agreed to provide a financial package worth an additional €3 billion, with the establishment of a refugee facility for Turkey to co-ordinate and streamline actions financed by this package. The overall aim of the plan is to ensure that refugees in Turkey are properly supported. This should prevent desperate people from undertaking perilous journeys or falling into the hands of unscrupulous traffickers and people smugglers.

Ireland strongly supports the recently intensified engagement between the EU and Turkey, including the outcome of the meeting of 29 November. In particular, I welcome the agreement to implement the EU-Turkey joint action plan. The relationship with Turkey has been the subject of many high-level meetings and will be further discussed at the European Council in Brussels today. Most recently, the Turkish foreign Minister, Mr. Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, participated in a working lunch with EU foreign Ministers, which I attended, at the Foreign Affairs Council last Monday.

The EU's relationship with Turkey is of key importance, not only in terms of the current migration crisis, but also in the context of Turkey's status as an EU accession candidate. With Turkey now host to well over 2 million Syrian refugees, Ireland is of the view that EU support is necessary. In this context, EU financial assistance will go towards the provision of support to Syrians under temporary protection and to their host communities.

The internal situation in Turkey remains a matter of serious concern, a point that was made clear in the European Commission's latest enlargement progress report. Turkey faces many internal and external challenges, as the Deputy will be aware. The murder on 28 November of the Kurdish human rights lawyer, Mr. Tahir Elçi, as well as those of two policemen killed nearby, is another tragic and worrying development in that regard. As a human rights lawyer, Mr. Elçi was critical of human rights abuses on all sides of the conflict. I strongly condemn Mr. Elçi's killing and offer my sincere condolences to his family and friends. I understand that the Turkish authorities are committed to accelerating the investigation into his murder. It is important that this happen at the earliest opportunity.

Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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Yesterday, Amnesty International condemned the Turkish authorities for detaining scores of refugees, including people from Iraq and Syria, and pressuring them into returning home in an alleged breach of international law dating back to September. The EU seems to be setting aside many of its concerns about the growing authoritarianism of the Turkish Government and instead promising €3 billion to Turkey, supposedly in aid of refugees, along with a package of political goodies in the naive and misguided belief that doing this will somehow help to solve the refugee crisis.

In its haste, the EU is also ignoring the claims that Turkey has allowed jihadist fighters and arms shipments across its border. Two Turkish journalists have been jailed, supposedly for espionage. Do these issues concern the Government? They are clearly linked to the package.

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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I assure the Deputy that Ireland is not silent on these issues. With our European colleagues, we will continue raising them. We raised them most recently at the meeting of Ministers' deputies at the Council of Europe on 2 December, when the arrest of two journalists, the importance of freedom of the press and expression in Turkey and the need to ensure a strong and healthy democracy were emphasised. The rule of law and human rights, including that of freedom of expression, are core principles of the EU. Deputy Crowe will be aware that these are prerequisites for accession to the Union. Ireland is clear that Turkey must live up to the same standards and commitments as all other candidate countries. Progress in the accession process can only be made based on clear benchmarks and criteria.

Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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The video of the moment that Mr. Elçi was killed is concerning. It shows him taking cover behind police officers as they open fire on an armed man running towards them. Once the man passes them, they turn and fire in the opposite direction where Mr. Elçi was sheltering. A few seconds later, his body is seen laid out on the ground. He was killed by a single bullet to his head. Mr. Andrew Gardner, Amnesty International's researcher on Turkey, has stated that the Turkish investigation already smacks of a cover-up.

We are aware of the killing of the human rights lawyer, Mr. Pat Finucane, in the North as a result of collusion. There is concern in the Turkish case that the authorities, which seem to be involved, are investigating this alleged killing. I urge the Minister to raise it, not only with the Turkish authorities, but with his European counterparts to ensure that a similar cover-up is not allowed to happen.

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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I wish to repeat for the benefit of the Deputy that these are concerns of a most important nature. Ireland has raised them and will continue to raise them. I assure the Deputy that officials in my Department, both at our headquarters in Dublin and in our embassy in Ankara, will continue to follow developments across a range of human rights concerns closely, but in particular regarding Mr. Elçi's murder. I would be happy to keep the Deputy informed of our interaction in that regard.