Foreign Office not warned of Yousaf ’s Erdogan meeting
THE Foreign Office only received written notification of Humza Yousaf ’s talks with Turkey’s president about the Gaza crisis when they were already underway, internal emails have disclosed.
The Scottish First Minister arranged a meeting at the recent Cop28 climate change summit in the UAE with Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has called Israel a “terror state” and Hamas a “liberation group”. Emails and Whatsapps obtained by The Daily Telegraph under freedom of information showed Mr Yousaf ’s officials frantically trying to facilitate the Dec 1 sitdown with Mr Erdogan at short notice. But the documents show the Scottish Government did not email the British Embassy in Dubai about the talks until 18 minutes after they started. Even then, there was no mention of Erdogan’s presence. It had previously been assumed the talks would be held with Turkey’s climate change minister.
Despite the Foreign Office requiring a UK diplomat to be present, an email from the Scottish Government that morning on Mr Yousaf ’s “bilaterals” only listed a “potential” meeting with the Turkish delegation. Sources close to Mr Yousaf insisted that a Foreign Office official assigned to the Scottish Government’s delegation was informed verbally mid to late morning that a meeting was being set up. They did not recall if Mr Erdogan was mentioned. A spokesman said that the First Minister “did condemn the actions of Hamas in the course of his discussion with President Erdogan”. After the talks, Mr Yousaf posted a picture on social media of himself shaking hands with Erdogan with the message there should be “an immediate & permanent ceasefire now”. This was not UK Government policy.
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “Once the timing and venue were confirmed, Scottish Government officials informed [Foreign Office] officials as soon as they could.”