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German Foreign Minister Haiko Maas does not agree with the proposed arms embargo in Ankara. However, the data shows that German arms exports to Turkey have declined significantly.
Speaking to the German News Agency (DPA), the German Chancellor clarified that he did not agree with the proposal to impose an arms embargo on Turkey. “I think strategically this is not the right choice,” Haiko Maas said. Furthermore, he believes that imposing an embargo on a NATO partner, such as Ankara, would not be an easy task. “We saw what happened when Turkey could not acquire missiles from the United States, it just bought them from Russia,” recalled the Social Democratic politician. As early as October, Athens had formally requested an embargo on Berlin, due to Turkish threats in the eastern Mediterranean.
In fact, however, the figures show that German exports of military equipment to Turkey have fallen dramatically. The total value of exports that had been approved until December 10 reached 22.9 million euros, while for 2019 commissions had been approved for a total of 31.6 million euros. This arises from the response of the German government to a question from Member of Parliament Sevim Dagtelen of the “Party of the Left” (Die Linke).
Submarine supply is a controversial issue
Athens had requested the imposition of the embargo on the occasion of the forthcoming supply of six submarines, which are already being assembled in Turkey with technology from Germany’s ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems. The German government had approved the order in 2009, when relations with Turkey were not yet in crisis. The first restrictions on the export of ammunition were imposed after the Turkish invasion of Syria in October 2019. At that time, Berlin decided not to approve the export of arms, which could be used in Syria. However, submarines were not included in this category.
The German News Agency recalls that Greece accuses Turkey of illegal drilling in the Eastern Mediterranean, Ankara denies the accusations and insists that the investigations concern only its own continental shelf, while Berlin has assumed the role of mediator. Haiko Maas admits, however, that “so far diplomatic efforts have not yielded the desired result.” That is why, he points out, two weeks ago, at the last summit, the EU imposed sanctions on Turkish companies and individuals involved in illegal drilling. However, there was not the necessary unanimity for punitive measures or broader sector sanctions.
Data on German exports
Following the failed coup attempt against Tayyip Erdogan in 2016, Germany had initially, and indeed largely, reduced the military equipment exported to Turkey. While in 2016 the total value of these exports amounted to 83.9 million euros, in 2018 it did not exceed 12.9 million euros. In 2019, for the first time, a further increase was recorded, but it will be followed by a significant decrease in 2020. Especially in the second half of this year, “almost no supplies” were approved to Turkey, notes the German News Agency.
However, Sevim Dagtnelen notes that the continuation of German exports is due to “cynical geopolitical calculations.” The left-wing MP says the export of military equipment to Turkey must stop immediately, because otherwise “the authoritarian Erdogan is encouraged to continue the policy of war.”
Deutsche Welle- Michael Fischer (DPA) -Curator: Giannis Papadimitriou
Source: skai.gr
