The British parliamentary delegation, invited to Turkey by Yunus Emre Institute, has held talks with Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu, Istanbul Governor Ali Yerlikaya, Gaziantep Governor Davut Gül and Gaziantep Mayor Fatma Şahin.

As Turkey's leading cultural diplomacy powerhouse, Yunus Emre Institute has undertaken yet another public diplomacy initiative. In this context, Yunus Emre Institute has invited five Members of Parliament, including four shadow ministers from the Labour Party, in order to convey the developments in Turkey to the British Parliament in a more reliable manner.

The British parliamentary delegation, consisting of Shadow Justice Ministers Yasmin Qureshi and Imran Hussain, Shadow Minister for Work and Pensions Marie Rimmer, Shadow Minister of State for Immigration Afzal Khan and Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee Member and Member of Parliament Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi, conducts talks in Istanbul, Ankara and Gaziantep.

Istanbul Governor Yerlikaya: It is crucial for Yunus Emre Institute to act a bridge for such meetings

The delegation paid a visit first to Istanbul Governor Ali Yerlikaya, who has recently assumed office. During the meeting held in an amiable manner, the bilateral economic relations between Turkey and the UK, the asylum seekers in Turkey, the current status of Syria, and other important issues were discussed.

Governor Yerlikaya thanked Yunus Emre Institute for paving the way for such a meeting and pointed out that work would be conducted to promote the relations between Turkey and the UK in all areas.

Following the visit, the British parliamentarians went to the historic peninsula in Istanbul to tour the Hagia Sophia Museum, the Sultan Ahmed Mosque and the Topkapı Palace.

Intense talks in Ankara

Following their talks in Istanbul, the British parliamentary delegation flew to Ankara on November 9, 2018 to visit to the Veteran Parliament in Ankara. Then, the delegation met with the members of the parliamentary Foreign Affairs Commission of the Republic of Turkey and paid a visit of courtesy to Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Ankara Dominick Chilcott.

Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu: We are happy with the course of the Turkish-British relations

Another important stop in the marathon of talks for the British parliamentary delegation was the Interior Ministry of the Republic of Turkey, where the British MPs were hosted by Minister Süleyman Soylu, accompanied by Deputy Minister Muhterem İnce and Yunus Emre Institute President Prof. Dr. Şeref Ateş.

Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu said: "Immigration is a problem that concerns not only Turkey, but also all humanity. It is not reasonable to expect Turkey to shoulder this burden alone." Minister Soylu pointed out that the factors that urge people to migrate should be addressed on the spot and in a timely manner. He also remarked about terrorism. Noting that it is Turkey's most natural right to defend itself, Soylu explained that measures they had taken to ensure border security and draw attention to the importance of the delegation in conveying Turkey's agenda to the British parliament correctly.

The British parliamentary delegation also met with Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Faruk Kaymakçı.

Last stop in Ankara: Yunus Emre Institute

Following their intense talks in the city, the British delegation eventually paid a visit to Yunus Emre Institute.

During the meeting hosted by Institute President Prof. Dr. Şeref Ateş, the head of the delegation, Yasmin Qureshi, thanked the Institute for organizing the trip, noting that the talks had been considerably beneficial to both countries.

Marie Rimmer indicated that she was impressed with Yunus Emre Institute's activities around the globe while Imran Hussain maintained that Turkey's stance in the international arena should be supported.

"Our goal is to promote our country and nation better"

Yunus Emre Institute President Prof. Dr. Şeref Ateş made comments about the talks by the British MPs who were visiting Turkey at the invitation of the Institute. He noted that the Institute was conducting their activities for promoting friendship and cultural ties between Turkey and other countries via 56 cultural centers in 46 countries.

Ateş stated that they had undertaken major initiatives in the area of public diplomacy in addition to their extensive network of cultural diplomacy. "Our goal is to promote our country and nation better and improve our ties and build new friendships. In this context, we are glad to welcome the British MPs in Turkey and organize their talks so that an active group on Turkey can be created in the British parliament and the developments in Turkey can be conveyed in a more reliable manner," he said.

British parliamentarians' final destination: Gaziantep

The delegation, which showed active interest in immigration as one of the most critical problems in recent years, paid a visit to Nizip Temporary Sheltering Center, located in the province of Gaziantep, housing 4,500 Syrians.

Following the presentation made by the Center's administration, the delegation toured around the center and visited refugees and had a chance to chat with them.

In the wake of the visit to the Temporary Sheltering Center, the British MPs met with Gaziantep Governor Davut Gül and Gaziantep Mayor Fatma Şahin. During the meeting, the socio-economic projects implemented by Turkey since 2012 in connection with the Syrian crisis were described. It was mutually agreed that Turkey and the UK should step up cooperation in this area.

During their three-day visit, the British MPs had a chance to make a number of official visits and asses Turkey's agenda on the stop, and before leaving Turkey, they visited Zeugma Museum.