UK refuses to join France, Germany and Netherlands in halting arms sales to Turkey

[editor]

We've turned into a fucking scumbag of a country

The British government has refused to join its allies in halting arms sales to Turkey over the country’s military operation against Kurdish forces in Syria.

EU foreign ministers unanimously agreed on Monday to “condemn” Turkey’s military action, arguing that it “seriously undermines the stability and the security of the whole region” and was harming civilians.

But the bloc stopped short of agreeing to an EU-wide arms embargo against Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government, instead issuing a relatively toothless pledge for “strong” arms export control on a country-by-country basis.


A number of major European powers have unilaterally pledged to halt arms sales to Mr Erdogan’s government, including Germany, France and Finland.

But the UK, one of the world’s largest arms exporters, is notably absent from the list, and raised further eyebrows by initially arguing against condemning Turkey during a Monday meeting of foreign ministers to draw up a common EU position.

UK refuses to join France, Germany and Netherlands in halting arms sales to Turkey

 

[Lord Camomile]

We've turned into a fucking scumbag of a country

I fear it's more like old habits die hard.

 

[dessiato]

With everything that is happening there is barely recognise it as the country in which I grew up.

Pride has been replaced by racism and bigotry. Tolerance seems to no longer exist.

I don't see it improving for a very long time.

 

[butchersapron]

From the FT

The UK government is to review all arms export licences to Turkey as a result of concern over its military operation against Kurdish forces in Syria. The move has not yet been formally announced, but the Financial Times understands that British ministers have ordered a full review into sales of Turkish arms that could be used in the operation in Syria and are suspending awards of new licences pending the outcome. Officials were not able to say when the review was likely to conclude, but the investigation began shortly after Turkey’s first incursion into north-eastern Syria last week.

 

[YouSir]

With everything that is happening there is barely recognise it as the country in which I grew up.

Pride has been replaced by racism and bigotry. Tolerance seems to no longer exist.

I don't see it improving for a very long time.

When did you grow up when the UK wasn't selling weapons to murderous regimes?

 

[Pickman's model]

We've turned into a fucking scumbag of a country

a long long time ago

 

[Pickman's model]

When did you grow up when the UK wasn't selling weapons to murderous regimes?

1360s perhaps

 

[Lord Camomile]

From the FT

The UK government is to review all arms export licences to Turkey as a result of concern over its military operation against Kurdish forces in Syria. The move has not yet been formally announced, but the Financial Times understands that British ministers have ordered a full review into sales of Turkish arms that could be used in the operation in Syria and are suspending awards of new licences pending the outcome. Officials were not able to say when the review was likely to conclude, but the investigation began shortly after Turkey’s first incursion into north-eastern Syria last week.

Will it be "root and branch" that will end with "lessons learned"?

 

[Don Troooomp]

I fear it's more like old habits die hard.

Cash, dear chap, cash.
A little thing like mass civilian deaths won't worry arms dealers and other heartless bastards.

 

[not-bono-ever]

*defence* sales to the middle east are the thick end of GBP 9Bn a year at the minute. Turkey is only a couple of hundred million and much of that is one or two deals I think. They are capable of producing their own stuff on the whole

 

[hash tag]

The Saudi Yemen issue is no better. There is not enough room on these boards for me to start...."we are scumbags don't you know"

The Arms Trade - the future is bright

 

[Mation]

With everything that is happening there is barely recognise it as the country in which I grew up.

Pride has been replaced by racism and bigotry. Tolerance seems to no longer exist.

I don't see it improving for a very long time.

Do you mean that you barely recognise the country you thought it was, when you were growing up?

Or do you mean that you currently think that when you were growing up, it actually was a different country to the one it is now (along the dimension of racism and bigotry)?

 

[likesfish]

UK doesn't sell them much kit besides sniper rifles and they buy several different makes as well they export arms and license produce landrover

 

[maomao]

You would think they'd have tooled up before the big offensive anyway.