Foreign secretary David Cameron has issued a warning, suggesting a potential withdrawal of cooperation with Scottish ministers following a meeting between Humza Yousaf and Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Yousaf, the first minister, met the Turkish president at COP28 without the presence of a UK official, which Lord Cameron said was a breach of protocol, the BBC reported.
Ongoing tensions between Scotland and the UK government regarding meetings with foreign officials have escalated. A representative for Yousaf highlighted that a UK official had been invited to the meeting.
In the midst of this, a source within the UK government said that Lord Cameron intends to pursue a more assertive stance compared to his predecessor James Cleverly.
In a letter from Lord Cameron, who recently resumed his role as foreign secretary, addressed to Angus Robertson, the SNP’s External Affairs Secretary, Lord Cameron said that the Scottish government had assured the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) of providing “sufficient advance notice” about the meeting with Erdogan.
Expressing concern, Lord Cameron said that despite this assurance, an FCDO official was not given the opportunity to attend the meeting.
He said that the absence of an FCDO representative at this meeting violated the protocols outlined in the FCDO’s guidance for supporting devolved government ministers’ overseas visits.
The letter further indicated that any future breaches of the protocol regarding the presence of FCDO officials at ministerial meetings would result in the FCDO refraining from facilitating meetings or providing logistical support.
Additionally, considerations would be made regarding the presence of Scottish government offices in UK government posts.
When Cleverly held the position of foreign secretary, he issued a similar warning after Yousaf’s meeting with the Icelandic prime minister in August, which also occurred without UK diplomats present.
However, according to a UK government source, this recent action by the foreign secretary marks an “escalation” in response to the issue, indicating a desire for a stricter approach compared to Cleverly’s stance.
Regarding the meeting with president Erdogan, the source highlighted that Foreign Office officials were not informed of its location “until it was too late.” They said that this action had undermined UK foreign policy.
A UK government spokesperson said that foreign affairs fall under the Scotland Act, stressing the necessity for the UK to present a unified and consistent voice on the global platform, particularly during such turbulent times.
A spokesperson representing the first minister clarified that a UK official was informed about and invited to the meeting. They affirmed that similar arrangements were made for Yousaf’s meetings with other global leaders.
They further explained that events like COP often involve last-minute timing changes, and unfortunately, the FCDO representative was occupied elsewhere when the Turkish president was available for the meeting.
“Any threat by the UK government to curtail the Scottish Government’s international engagement is misguided and would work against Scotland’s interests,” they said.
A source within the Scottish government described Lord Cameron’s letter as an exaggerated response, pointing out the impracticality of asking a president to wait for an accompanying official.
They acknowledged that the FCDO representative arrived late for a couple of meetings at the summit but noted this as typical for fast-paced events like COP.
The meeting between Yousaf and Erdogan had stirred controversy within the first minister’s party.
SNP councillor Roza Salih expressed her disgust, citing Turkey’s increased attacks on Kurdish groups in Syria as the reason.
As a Kurdish-born politician, Salih, who was elected in 2022 and holds the distinction of being the first councillor to have relocated to Scotland as a refugee, voiced her strong sentiments about the meeting.
The first minister shared on social media that discussions on the climate crisis and the Israel-Gaza conflict took place during his meeting with Erdogan and the Lebanese prime minister on December 1.
He said he had called for an immediate ceasefire in the region, a move that reportedly contradicted the UK government’s position and raised concerns in the foreign office.
Erdogan had previously criticised Israel, accusing it of acting as a “war criminal.”
These remarks were made during a pro-Palestinian rally in Istanbul in October, drawing reactions from Israeli officials.
Israeli foreign minister Eli Cohen responded by recalling diplomats, while prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended Israel’s military actions, stating it to be “the most moral army in the world.”
