David Cameron issues threat after Humza Yousaf's meeting with Turkish president

The First Minister sparked a diplomatic row after meeting Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Dubai

Humza Yousaf has sparked a diplomatic row after meeting Turkey’s president at the COP28 climate summit without a UK official present.

The First Minister posted on social media about meeting Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Dubai earlier this month. The pair spoke about the climate crisis and the Israel-Gaza conflict.

Foreign secretary David Cameron has now written to Angus Robertson, the SNP’s external affairs secretary, threatening to withdraw further co-operation from the Scottish Government. He said the absence of a Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) official at the meeting “contravened” protocols.

David Cameron. Picture: Justin Tallis/AFP via Getty Images

Lord Cameron also threatened to shut down Scottish Government offices within British embassies. It comes amid growing tensions between Scottish and UK ministers over meetings with foreign officials.

Mr Yousaf previously said he had spoken with President Erdogan about the “humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza”.

"An immediate and permanent ceasefire is needed now,” the First Minister wrote on X. His calls for a ceasefire contradict the UK position on the conflict, and are understood to have caused particular concern in the foreign office.

“Despite an assurance being given by Scottish Government officials that they would provide sufficient advance notice to allow an FCDO official to attend that meeting, this was not done,” Lord Cameron wrote to Mr Robertson.

“A UK official was available, whose contact details were known to your officials on the ground, but the location of the meeting was not shared with them. The absence of an FCDO official at this meeting contravenes the protocols in our guidance on FCDO support to devolved government ministers' overseas visits.”

Lord Cameron said it was “critical that the UK presents a consistent message to our international partners and that the devolution settlements are respected”.

He said: “I remain open to discussing a constructive way forward. However, any further breaches of the protocol of ministerial meetings having a FCDO official present will result in no further FCDO facilitation of meetings or logistical support. We will also need to consider the presence of Scottish Government offices in UK Government posts."

A row previously broke out after Mr Yousaf met the Icelandic prime minister without a UK official present.

A spokesman for the First Minister said any threat to curtail the Scottish Government’s international engagement was “misguided”.

He said: “The Scottish Government had no difficulty with an FCDO representative attending the meeting, and indeed the relevant UK official was made aware of it and invited.

"These were exactly the same arrangements as for other meetings that the First Minister had with governments of other countries at COP28, at which the FCDO official was present.

"However, the nature of events such as COP is that timings can change at the last minute, and the FCDO representative was elsewhere at the time it was convenient for the Turkish president to meet.

“Any threat by the UK Government to curtail the Scottish Government’s international engagement is misguided and would work against Scotland’s interests. We are more than happy to discuss with Lord Cameron the continuing support of the FCDO in facilitating the work that Scottish ministers undertake in delivering for Scotland overseas.”