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<p>We maintain a regular dialogue with the Turkish government on relations with the
Kurds in the region. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs,
my right Hon Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), discussed
the situation in Kobane and the PKK with the Turkish Foreign Minister when they spoke
on 9 October. <br><br>We value greatly Turkey’s generosity in hosting over 190,000
refugees that have fled the fighting in Kobane, in addition to the 1.6 million refugees
from Syria and Iraq already residing in Turkey. The Department for International Development
has already responded to the urgent needs of Syrian Kurdish refugees that have fled
to Turkey, and remains ready to react swiftly to further developments. <br><br>We
also welcome continued efforts by the Turkish government to take forward the Kurdish
peace process, including through the introduction of legislation addressing minority
rights and consultation with civil society. The UK stands ready to help in any way
we can.</p>
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