Turkey Earthquake Statement

Today marks two months since the tragic earthquakes took place in Turkey and Syria. My heart goes out to all who are still grieving and still suffering.

For context, the February 2023 earthquakes in Turkey are the deadliest on modern record in the country and the most powerful in terms of magnitude since 1939. Over 50,000 people have died.

The United Kingdom has a large Turkish-speaking community predominantly from the region that has been affected by the earthquake.

Like many British Turkish / Kurdish communities, my family woke on the day trying to contact loved ones and relatives. We were incredibly lucky to find out that the majority of our family are safe. Thousands of families have not been so lucky.

As soon as the news arrived about the earthquake, I wrote to the Government about the UK’s response and the need for us to support the two countries.

The UK Government pledged around £43 million in immediate humanitarian aid to Turkey and Syria. This included medical equipment and vital items like tents, blankets and hygiene kits.

I then questioned the Foreign Secretary, the day after the earthquake, and asked what further plans the Government had to support victims affected by the earthquake. You can read my exchange here.

I raised my issues with the Government’s response to the Prime Minister here.

My focus since then has been on securing temporary expedited visas. I’ve written to the Home Office calling for them to put an expedited visa process in place for families who want to bring over their loved ones for a short time for temporary relief.

My letter received a delayed response and the Minister refused to meet with me to discuss the UK’s response and visa process. The Minister also reaffirmed that the Government has no plans to alter the visa process.

Several countries have introduced special visa rules for earthquake victims. Germany has done so, the Netherlands is being “more lenient” on requests by Syrian and Turkish residents, and Belgium and Switzerland offering expedited visa processing.

The Refugee Agency has told us that Norway, Spain, Finland, France, Germany and Italy have all adjusted their resettlement programs in one way or another.

So my question is: why has the UK Government consistently ruled this out and refused to meet with me?

We are falling short of our responsibilities.

In Enfield, I have continued to work with the local authority and local charities to make sure that members of our Turkish-speaking community who are personally affected by the earthquakes receive the support they need, such as counseling and mental health support.

Despite continued rejection by the Conservative Government, I will continue to exert pressure on them.

I will keep you updated, as and when I receive significant updates.