NAN-F-33
Arms
London, Sept. 12, 2017 (Reuters/NAN) A decision by Germany to put on hold all major arms exports to Turkey weakens Ankara’s fight against terrorism and makes Europe vulnerable, Turkish EU Affairs Minister, Omer Celik, told reporters in London on Tuesday.
Celik made this known after German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel had said that Berlin had suspended major arms exports due to the deteriorating human rights situation in Turkey and increasingly strained ties between the NATO allies.
“The German foreign minister must formulate his comments seriously.
“Those arms are being used in the struggle against PKK and ISIS.
“This decision will weaken Turkey’s fight against terrorism, and weakening the Turkish fight would mean making Europe’s future more vulnerable,” he said.
Celik said that Germany must leave security issues out of political discussions. (Reuters/NAN)
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Edited by Celine-Damilola Oyewole/Abdullahi Yusuf