Turkey’s unlawful actions toward Greece were discussed extensively during a discussion in the German Bundestag on two resolutions proposed by the Greens and the left-wing Die Linke party on revoking the licence to export six submarines and generally stop German arms exports to Turkey, diplomatic sources said on Wednesday.
During the debate, held on January 29, the rapporteur for the Greens Katja Keul referring to Turkey’s “Blue Homeland” dogma and hundreds of violations of Greek air space by Turkish fighter planes.
The Green MP Manuel Sarazzin pointed out that the exports of German submarines to Turkey will change the balance of power, to the detriment of Greece and Cyprus, and lead to a new arms race.
The Die Linke rapporteur Sevim Dagdelen also referred to the illegal activities on Cyprus, such as opening up Varosha, and the activities of Turkish research vessels in waters claimed by Greece.
There were also extensive references to Turkish human rights violations within its borders and its activities in the region generally.
A spokesperson for the ruling CDU/CSU, Klaus-Peter Willisch, admitted that if a decision to approve the export licence were taken today, the outcome would be different given that Turkey’s behaviour has radically changed in the last decade.
The issue was among those raised by Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias in a meeting with representatives of the German Green party and members of the Bundestag foreign affairs committee during a visit to Berlin in November./ANA-MNA
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