In weeks before release of world correspondent Deniz Yücel, federal government apparently approved numerous arms exports to Turkey from Turkish detention. This is reported by German editorial network (RND), citing an answer from German Federal Ministry of Economics to a request from left Bundestag MEP Sam Dağdelen. Thus, in period from 18 December 2017 to 24 January 2018 a total of 31 permits were granted.
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On Ministry’s export list, individual positions are encrypted. According to Rnd, one of abbreviations, A0013, is for special armour or protective equipment. Wher this is approval for controversial upgrading of 120 Turkish tanks of type M60 or retrofitting of leopard-2 battle tanks by German armaments group Rheinmetall, however, is unclear.
According to report, Ministry of Economic Affairs confirmed a meeting of federal Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel (SPD) on 7 November 2017 with senior representatives of German arms industry, including Rheinmetall chief Armin Papperger. Below management level, re were also “regular contacts of representatives of Federal Ministry of Economy and Energy for representatives of Rheinmetall”.
After Yücels release, Foreign Minister Gabriel had declared that re had been no compensation for release of journalist. “There is no deal, neir a dirty nor a clean one,” Gabriel had said.
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Dağdelen criticized shipments of arms. “Practically every day, federal government approves an arms export application for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan,” Bundestag deputies said. While Turkey had prepared “international invasion of Turkish army” into Syrian Afrin, 31 arms exports were approved within a few weeks. “That is scandalous,” said Dağdelen to Rnd. It also stressed that re was a temporal link between release of German journalist Meşale Tolu from Turkish detention on 18 December and exports.
