BREAKING NEWS

Push for trade with Turkey risks UK's human rights reputation - lawmakers

Britain risks looking as though it has put defence and trade ties with Turkey ahead of human rights concerns as it pushes to secure a closer relationship with Ankara, a committee of lawmakers said on Saturday.
The warning comes as Prime Minister Theresa May prepares to begin negotiating Britain's exit from the European Union - enacting a decision made at a referendum last year which has forced the government to seek new allies and trading partners.
May and senior minister have visited Turkey this year to discuss tightening security cooperation to prevent Islamic State militants in neighbouring Syria reaching Europe, and how to boost lucrative sales of defence systems to Ankara.
But a committee of British lawmakers who visited Turkey to investigate bilateral relations, expressed concern at the direction of the diplomatic push.