17 minutes agoGermany no longer sells Erdogan tanks
Periskopi(8 years ago)
(8 years ago)German government is facing calls to stop arms exports to Turkey after reports were heard that German tanks were used in an offensive against Kurdish YPG. Several German politicians have demanded that any movement to approve an agreement to improve Turkish military reserves be terminated, the BBC reports. The forces [...]
German government is facing calls to stop arms exports to Turkey after reports were heard that German tanks were used in an offensive against Kurdish YPG.
Several German politicians have demanded that any movement to approve an agreement to improve Turkish military reserves be terminated, the BBC reports.
Turkey-led forces launched an attack on northern Syria on Saturday. This comes only weeks after the two countries' foreign ministers pledged to improve bilateral ties.
Relations between the two NATO members have deteriorated dramatically in recent years.
Reports Friday suggested Berlin was looking into adopting a request by Turkey for German arms producer Rheinmetall to improve its Leopard 2 tanks to make them less sensitive to explosives.
It is thought that tanks were used by Turkey against the Islamic State group (IS) in Syria. Defence experts, however, have claimed in German media that recent images by the “Dega Operational of Oliver” of Turkey appear to be being used against Kurdish groups.
Norbert Rötgen, a member of Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union party (CDU) and chairman of the parliamentary foreign affairs committee, said it was “completely clear” that Germany should no longer offer weapons to the Turkish military.
