Mark Dearey (Green Party)

Will the Leader contact the Minister for Foreign Affairs at his earliest convenience regarding a report on the BBC news website that the Turkish Government is considering sending a gunboat to accompany the Rachel Corrie as it moves towards the blockade off the coast of Gaza? As this report is on a website, I cannot confirm it to be absolutely the case. It deserves the immediate attention of the Department of Foreign Affairs. We need to contact the Turkish Embassy to ascertain the accuracy or otherwise of the report. If it is true, the Rachel Corrie will be used as an extremely vulnerable pawn in what could become a very dangerous conflict between two countries that have seriously damaged relations with each other since last Monday when nine Turks were killed on a passenger liner. There are five Filipino seamen, six Malaysians and five Irish citizens on the Rachel Corrie. In the interests of their safety, will the Leader contact the Minister as soon as he can to ask him to call the Turkish ambassador on this matter?