15000 Kurdish refugees are now quietly and expeditiously sacrificed to suit Turkey's barbaric aims

15,000 Kurdish refugees are now quietly and expeditiously sacrificed to suit Turkey's barbaric aims, with the apparent approval of the UNHCR following Ankara's intervention in Washington. We appeal to the UNHCR to immediately stop its plan to close the camp.Lord AVEBURYChairman, Parliamentary Human Rights GroupLord REALord McNAIRBaroness GOULDLord HYLTONJOHN AUSTIN-WALKER MP(Woolwich, Lab)TONY BANKS MP(Newham North West, Lab)TONY BENN MP(Chesterfield, Lab)JEREMY CORBYN MP(Islington North, Lab)CYNOG DAFIS MP(Ceredigion and Pembroke North, PC)MARGARET EWING MP(Moray, SNP)ALAN SIMPSON MP(Nottingham South, Lab)DAVID ATKINSON MP(Bournemouth East, C)JENNY JONESGreen PartyLESLEY KIPLINGSocialist Labour PartyKEN CAMERONGeneral Secretary, FBUTIM GOPSILLHAROLD PINTERTOM STOPPARDVice-President, International PENMARGARET DRABBLEVice-President, International PENEDWARD MORTIMERLOUISE CHRISTIANSHERI LAIZERMIRANDA WATSONGEORGE EUGENIOUCypriot Advisory ServiceLIB PECKNational Peace CouncilMICHAEL FEENEYRefugee Adviser for Cardinal HumeJOHN JOSSETPolicy Officer for Refugees, Catholic Bishops Conference England and WalesPeace in Kurdistan campaignLondon NW3. Read his lips: no fair taxes Sir: As a higher-rate taxpayer, and by no means a left-winger, I am appalled at Gordon Brown's commitment not to increase standard and higher rates of income tax ("No new taxes? Read his lips", 21 January). One of my hopes for a change of government, any change, had been for a reversal of the socially divisive and regressive tax system of recent years. In particular I had looked forward to a shift, even if the total tax burden was left unchanged, from indirect to direct taxation.By not taking account of anyone's ability to pay, VAT hits the poor more than the better-off And corporation tax is very low by international standards. Unless spending is to be cut by unacceptable amounts, direct taxes must be increased and VAT reduced.FMM STEINERDeddington, Oxfordshire. Ashdown keeps his distance Sir: Your leading article (20 January) was "intrigued" that no one has denied that Paddy Ashdown and Tony Blair have had discussions about Cabinet seats You should have asked. I can state categorically that Paddy Ashdown has never discussed Cabinet seats with Tony Blair or anyone else.

Your editorial also suggested that Paddy Ashdown and Menzies Campbell would have to join the Labour Party if they were to accept any Cabinet positions. This suggestion is as bizarre as it is ridiculous. The Liberal Democrats are an independent party, with clear, distinctive policies, and we will be fighting every seat in the country to win. What is more, it is now crystal clear that whether you want comprehensive modernisation of our political system, principled protection of your civil liberties, or significant new investment in education and health, only the Liberal Democrats will now make the difference after 18 years of Tory government.NICK SOUTHHead of Press and PolicyPaddy Ashdown's OfficeHouse of CommonsLondon SW1. We don't need a Halifax Bank Sir: In common with many households, we received some hefty literature giving details about the proposed conversion of the Halifax Building Society into a bank. I say "we" although it was solely addressed to my husband, even though we have always had joint accounts. The Halifax presumably does not consider women fiscally competent. I did attempt to read this document, which seems more concerned about share allocation than the arguments for conversion I searched in vain for a section putting a contrary view.

There was none, yet there are compelling arguments against conversion. To keep share-holders sweet the cost of borrowing will go up and the rates of return on savings will go down.Building societies were established to enable people to buy their own homes - not for people to make a financial killing. There is not exactly a shortage of banks in most high streets (although rural areas might appreciate the odd one).GILLIAN BERGLuton, Bedfordshire. BBC tuned in to local radio Sir: Polly Toynbee ("Local radio? Why not news from your own street", 15 January) is quite right about there being space on the dial for intelligent, locally based speech radio We think so too. That is why the BBC's local radio stations have increasingly developed a unique role across the country - providing the community with local news, information and debate, and performing an important role as a platform for local democracy. When major stories break in London, listeners know they will find in- depth coverage on BBC GLR. This "low-rating" service attracts more than 400,000 regular listeners.Ms Toynbee is right, too, about the difficulties that regional television news services have in being genuinely local - a universal problem, not one unique to London.

That's why, recognising the audience's appetite for greater localness, the BBC has committed itself to expand its broadcasting presence into more communities across the land, introducing new digital technology, broadcasting live reports from new fast-response vehicles, and strengthening the local content of our programmes.Yet although it encompasses a large part of the South-east, BBC Newsroom South East is enormously popular within the Greater London area, currently enjoying a record 43 per cent share - more than 1.5 million nightly viewers - its highest for more than two years.NIGEL CHAPMANController, English Regions, BBCBirmingham. Dentist still NHS Sir: Your report "NHS dentist earns pounds 604,000" (15 January) quotes Gordon Prentice MP: "The town where I live [Barnoldswick] doesn't have a single NHS dentist." Mr Prentice seems to have forgotten that NHS dentistry is still available at this surgery here in Barnoldswick. We have more than 5,000 active NHS- registered patients and despite the antics of politicians - reduced registration period from two years to 15 months and reduction in items of treatment available - we will continue to strive to provide a quality NHS dental service.EDWARD LOWERYPAUL H HADFIELDBarnoldswick, Lancashire. Bum note Sir: Jilly Cooper and Paul Barnett (report, 16 January; letter, 18 January) have both got it wrong. Glockenspiel is a German word and years ago, at a party in Austria, when I said I didn't know much German, I was asked to try to say something in that language. Inventing rapidly, I said: "Meine Grossmutter hat ein grosses Glockenspiel" .. whereupon the assembled company fell about laughing.